Mumbai: The much-awaited Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), owned by the Adani Group, will be inaugurated on October 8 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marking a major milestone for India’s aviation sector after years of delays.
Ahead of the grand launch, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani shared glimpses of his visit to the airport site, calling it a “living wonder shaped by thousands of hands and hearts.” In a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter), Adani said he interacted with differently-abled staff, construction workers, women employees, engineers, artisans, firefighters and security personnel who contributed to the mega project.
“I felt the pulse of a living wonder — a monument shaped by thousands of hands and hearts. When millions of flights take to the skies and billions walk through these halls, the spirit of these people will echo through every takeoff and every step — and to them, I offer my deepest gratitude. Jai Hind,” he wrote.
Ahead of the inauguration of Navi Mumbai International Airport on 8 Oct, I met with our differently-abled colleagues, construction workers, women staff, engineers, artisans, fire fighters and the guards who helped bring this vision to life. I felt the pulse of a living wonder – a… pic.twitter.com/Uj7Ikue7vM
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) October 1, 2025
A World-Class Aviation Hub
On Tuesday, NMIA secured its Aerodrome Licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), clearing the final regulatory hurdle to begin operations. The airport is being developed in five phases. The launch phase alone will handle up to 20 million passengers per annum (MPPA) and 0.5 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo. Once fully completed, the capacity is expected to soar to 90 MPPA and 3.2 MMT of cargo annually, making it one of the largest airports in Asia.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had earlier said the airport would be “many times bigger” than Mumbai’s existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), which has long been stretched beyond capacity.
Built to Ease Congestion
The Navi Mumbai project is a 74:26 joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) and the City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO). It is being built at an estimated cost of ₹16,700 crore, with the aim of easing the growing congestion at Mumbai’s only operational airport while addressing India’s rising demand for air travel.
The foundation stone for NMIA was laid by Prime Minister Modi in February 2018. Once operational, it is expected to not only transform air travel in western India but also emerge as a critical global aviation hub.
