Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Navi Mumbai International Airport on October 8, marking a major milestone for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
The airport, which received its aerodrome licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on September 30, is set to begin commercial operations from December.
The airport was developed in multiple phases by Navi Mumbai International Airport, with the Adani Group holding a 74 per cent stake and the remaining 26 per cent owned by Maharashtra government’s land development authority, CIDCO.
CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Vijay Singhal said at a briefing on Saturday, “The Prime Minister will inaugurate the airport at 2.40 pm on October 8, and it will be operational from December.”
Navi Mumbai International Airport, with airport code 'NMI', will be the second airport serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Once fully operational, it is expected to handle 90 million passengers and manage 3.2 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, making it one of the largest aviation hubs in Asia.
Initially, the airport will start with one runway and a terminal capable of handling 20 million passengers per year, about one-third the capacity of Mumbai airport.
Commercial airline flights are likely to start in mid-November, with ticket sales commencing weeks before.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that the airport will be named after the late DB Patil, a politician and social activist who ensured fair compensation for farmers who gave up land for the building of Navi Mumbai.
“While granting permission for the airport construction earlier, the Centre had approved the name ‘Navi Mumbai International Airport’. With the proposed renaming, it will now be known as ‘Loknete DB Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport’. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the state’s proposal,” Fadnavis said.
He also added that approvals for renaming Pune airport after Jagadguru Sant Tukaram and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) airport after Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj are in the pipeline.
“The official name announcement will coincide with the commencement of passenger operations. During the interim ‘dry run’ period, advance bookings and technical readiness procedures will be conducted,” he said.
Gautam Adani shared his excitement ahead of the inauguration on X, posting a video on October 1: “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, firefighters and the guards who helped bring this vision to life. 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.”
Regarding flight operations, Air India plans to operate 20 daily flights connecting 15 Indian cities in phase one, scaling up to over 55 daily flights—including five international routes—by mid-2026, and 60 daily flights by winter 2026.
Fadnavis also noted that cases registered against activists who had protested over the airport’s name will be withdrawn to ensure their employment opportunities at the airport are not affected, including cases filed during the COVID period, following due judicial procedure.