Key Highlights

  • International Launch: IndiGo will begin international services from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) from February 2027.
  • 12 Daily Flights Shift: The airline will gradually move 12 daily international departures from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to NMIA.
  • Routes Covered: Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta, plus a new daily flight to Kathmandu.
  • Domestic Links Too: IndiGo will move supporting domestic connectivity to NMIA for smooth onward travel.
  • Relief for CSMIA: Around 3 million passengers will shift, creating room for the redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1.

Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) and IndiGo on Sunday announced a phased expansion of operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), with the airline set to begin international services from the greenfield airport from February 2027.

Under the plan, IndiGo will progressively transfer 12 daily international departures from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to NMIA. According to the official statement, this represents all of IndiGo's present operations from CSMIA to Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta.

The airline will also launch a new daily flight to Kathmandu from NMIA, taking its international network at the airport to 12 destinations between February and July 2027. To support these flights, IndiGo will shift the necessary domestic connectivity from CSMIA to NMIA, allowing passengers to connect smoothly between domestic and international services.

AAHL said it has been working closely with IndiGo to build the infrastructure needed for efficient transfers between the airline's domestic and international operations at NMIA. The move marks the next step in IndiGo's strategy to develop Navi Mumbai as a long-term international hub.

What It Means for Passengers and Mumbai

The route list makes the shift especially significant for travellers to the Gulf. Most of the transferred destinations are in West Asia, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain, which see heavy traffic from working professionals, families and Haj and Umrah pilgrims travelling to Jeddah and Madinah. For passengers living in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Panvel and nearby areas, the new airport could mean shorter travel times than reaching CSMIA.

The transition also eases pressure on Mumbai's main airport, which has long operated close to its capacity. The planned transfer of around 3 million passengers, about 60 per cent of the traffic targeted for relocation in the first phase, will create headroom for the phased redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1. The initial phase aims to shift about 5 million passengers to Navi Mumbai, enabling safety enhancements, modernisation, upgraded passenger facilities and expanded handling capacity at CSMIA.

The Bigger Picture

The announcement signals that Mumbai is moving towards a true two-airport system, similar to major global cities. As India's largest airline anchors its international operations at NMIA, other carriers may follow, shaping Navi Mumbai into a key aviation hub for western India. Passengers booking flights on these routes from February 2027 onwards will need to check carefully which airport their flight operates from, as the shift will happen in phases through July 2027.

(With inputs from IANS)