Navi Mumbai airport will waive aircraft landing charges for international flights during their first year of operation under revised tariff incentives approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA), in a move intended to encourage airlines to add and sustain overseas connectivity from the new airport.
The regulator approved changes to Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd’s Variable Tariff Plan in an order dated September 8. Under the revised framework, both short-haul and long-haul international routes from the airport will be eligible for a full landing-charge waiver in the first year. The waiver will be reduced to 50% in the second year, while long-haul international services will receive a 25% waiver in the third year.
Routes of up to 5,000 kilometres are classified as short-haul, while routes exceeding 5,000 kilometres are classified as long-haul. Airlines adding additional international frequencies will receive a 50% discount for short-haul services and a 75% discount for long-haul services during the first year, according to an official cited in the report.
International freighter operators will also be eligible for a 90% waiver on landing charges in the first year. The discount for freighter services will fall to 50% in the second year.
The revised rules also change which routes qualify for the incentive. Earlier, the waiver applied to new international routes from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, but routes already operated from Mumbai airport were excluded. Under the amended framework, new international routes from Navi Mumbai airport will qualify even when the same route is already being operated from Mumbai airport.
AERA said the modification would give the airport operator greater opportunities to develop international connectivity while ensuring that the benefit remained linked to traffic and utilisation outcomes. Both Mumbai airport and Navi Mumbai airport are operated by entities belonging to the Adani group.
The incentive comes as Navi Mumbai International Airport builds up its scheduled services. The airport was inaugurated on October 8, 2025, and began commercial operations on December 25, 2025. Its international operations started on July 15, when an Air India Express flight to Abu Dhabi became the first international service from the airport.
The revised tariff plan is aimed at encouraging airlines to introduce new international services and maintain connectivity from Navi Mumbai. The waiver structure covers passenger services, additional frequencies and international cargo operations, with the level of support varying by route distance, service frequency and year of operation.
