Navi Mumbai Airport Off To A Strong Start, Caters To 5,000 Passengers On Day One

Nearly 5,000 passengers travelled through the Navi Mumbai International Airport on the first day of operations on Christmas Day.

"On the first day of operations on 25 December, the airport recorded a total passenger throughput of 4,922, with 2,278 arriving passengers and 2,644 departing passengers, indicating strong demand from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region," a press statement said,

The overnight spurt in passenger load points to a positive response from travellers. A day earlier, on Dec. 24, passenger load levels stood at 71% for arrivals and 83% for departures. With the start of scheduled operations on Dec. 25, arrival load increased to 85%, while departure load climbed to 98%, reflecting a strong jump in booking levels as operations commenced.

On Friday, Dec. 26, passenger traffic increased further, with the airport handling a total of 5,028 passengers.

The Navi Mumbai airport, developed by the Adani Group, is designed to handle 90 million passenger per annum (MPPA). In the initial phase, the airport will have the capacity to manage 20 MPPA and 0.5 million metric tonnes of cargo annually.

The airport features two parallel runways, state-of-the-art terminal buildings, and advanced cargo facilities, ensuring seamless passenger experience and efficient cargo handling. NMIA is a greenfield airport with sustainable and eco-friendly infrastructure, incorporating renewable energy sources and green building practices.

IndiGo, Air India, Akasa Air have all announced a gradual increase in the number of flights from Mumbai's second international airport.