Air India Group unveils plans for flights from Navi Mumbai Airport

Air India Express to start with 20 daily departures

Air India Group will initiate operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport with 20 daily departures, aiming to expand to 60 flights by late 2026, enhancing regional and international connectivity substantially.

Air India Group today formally announced its plans to commence commercial flight operations from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), operated by Adani Airport Holdings, coinciding with the airport’s inaugural phase of operations.

In a press statement, Air India Group says that in the initial operational phase, Air India Express, the Group’s value carrier, is scheduled to operate 20 daily departures, amounting to 40 Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) connecting Navi Mumbai to 15 major cities across India.

The airline group has outlined an ambitious expansion plan to increase flight frequency to 55 daily departures, including up to five international daily flights, by mid-2026.

The statement adds that further scaling is targetted for Winter 2026, with operations expected to reach 60 daily departures, facilitating seamless passenger transfers to critical domestic and international destinations.

These operations are poised to substantially improve air travel access for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), enhancing connectivity and fostering international transit efficiency via NMIA, says the airline.

“We look forward to commencing operations at Navi Mumbai International Airport, as Mumbai joins the league of world cities with more than one airport. We are happy to work with Adani Airports to build NMIA not only as a point that connects to the rest of India, but also as one of the country’s key global transit hubs for both, passengers and cargo, given its strategic geographical location. At the Air India group, we are proud to lead the charge in connecting the West to the East and beyond via India, and our expansion at NMIA will support India’s growth as a global aviation hub,” says Campbell Wilson, Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Air India.

“We are delighted to welcome Air India Group to Navi Mumbai International Airport as one of our valued airline partners. Their ambitious expansion plans and global vision are perfectly aligned with our aim of making NMIA a benchmark in global aviation. This partnership will redefine Mumbai’s connectivity landscape and strengthen India’s twin-airport strategy, NMIA’s adoption of technology for enhancing efficiency and best in class experience for passengers will play a pivotal role in delivering seamless and superior passenger journeys for decades to come,” says Arun Bansal, Chief Executive Officer, Adani Airport Holdings.

According to the statement, the Navi Mumbai International Airport project is being developed in five phases. The launch phase is designed to accommodate 20 million passengers annually and handle 0.5 million metric tonnes of cargo. Upon full completion, NMIA will possess the capacity to serve 90 million passengers per annum and manage 3.2 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, marking a significant infrastructural milestone for India’s aviation sector.