MUMBAI: Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) formally entered India’s commercial aviation map on Thursday with the arrival and departure of its first scheduled passenger flights, marking a long-awaited milestone for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.On day 1 no lounges were open. “In a few days, we will have a temporary lounge with 100 seats in the central area of the terminal building. The Adani-1 lounge with over 125 seats will open about a month later with segregated seating for business and economy class passengers,” said a source. Only one hot meals option available on day 1, Gully Kitchen, by Semolina Kitchens Pvt Ltd. Early morning, passengers queued up in numbers to buy breakfast. “We were expecting only idlis and dosas to be the front runners and they were, but were surprised to find even poha and upma as popular orders,” said one of the restaurant staff. The cheapest dish on offer too was upma priced at Rs 250, followed by poha and idli sambar, starting around Rs 350. Niraj Pratap, a passenger said: “We tried dosa pockets and dosa rolls with flavours like podi roast potato and peri peri chicken which cost about Rs 450 each. It was absolutely delicious and filling.” In a few months’ time, the airport plans to have a “foodhall’’, a food court of sorts with curated gourmet offerings from different cuisines, said an official. On Thursday, the inaugural arrival was IndiGo flight 6E460 from Bengaluru, which touched down at 8 am. The aircraft was welcomed with a ceremonial water cannon salute. Over half an hour later, NMIA handled its first departure, IndiGo flight to Hyderabad, which took off at 8:40 am, completing the airport’s first commercial arrival–departure cycle.“On Day One, NMIA handled 48 flights connecting nine domestic destinations, serving over 4,000 passengers, with peak traffic recorded between 5 pm and 7 pm,” said an NMIA spokesperson. Operations commence with four carriers, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Air India Express and Star Air.Developed and operated by Adani Airports Holdings Limited (AAHL), NMIA is among India’s largest greenfield airport projects. “Chairman Gautam Adani personally welcomed passengers from the inaugural flight and interacted with airport staff, frontline workers and first-time flyers. He later joined a ceremonial walk through the departure terminal with airport employees, community representatives and Adani Foundation beneficiaries,” said the spokesperson. Jeet Adani, Director, AAHL, said NMIA establishes a resilient multi-airport system for the MMR, boosting capacity, enhancing passenger experience, and futureproofing the region’s aviation growth. “It’s a proud day for Mumbai and for India,” said Gautam Adani.Said an airline pilot: “For us, the new airport is called Navi.” It’s not an informal nickname of sorts. That’s the official name that the airport will be called by pilots and air traffic controllers in their radio communication. “When the first IndiGo flight was handed over from the Mumbai approach to Navi Mumbai tower control, we radioed to the pilots, “Welcome to Navi,” said an aviation official. Cultural performances featuring traditional Maharashtrian Lezim (folk dance), Dhol (percussion drums) and Tutari (ceremonial wind instrument) added the local flavour, offering visitors a vivid glimpse into Maharashtra’s cultural heritage. “Farmers, underprivileged families and colleagues with disabilities experienced their first-ever flight through a special chartered aerial tour of Mumbai. India Post also released a commemorative First Flight Carried Special Cover featuring the NMIA terminal, flown on an IndiGo service to Goa,” said the NMIA spokesperson.The launch concluded with a flag-hoisting ceremony followed by the national anthem led by Param Vir Chakra awardees Captain Bana Singh and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar along with sportspersons Suryakumar Yadav, Mithali Raj and Sunil Chhetri.The opening of NMIA is seen as a significant step in expanding air connectivity for the Mumbai region which has been constrained for decades as the existing Mumbai airport functions out of a single runway. The existing airport handles about 950 flights in 24 hours.
