Navi Mumbai’s much-anticipated international airport has hit another delay, pushing its operational timeline to August 2025.
This revised schedule has been confirmed through an official aviation advisory, with the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) citing incomplete work on the airport’s runway as the primary cause. Until the runway is fully commissioned, the airport remains ineligible to support commercial air traffic. Initially scheduled to begin operations by mid-2025, the delay underscores the complexities of executing large-scale urban infrastructure projects, especially those with critical transport implications for India’s financial capital. While several non-operational zones, including taxiways, aprons, and cargo terminals, are reportedly near completion, the inability to finalise the runway has held up necessary testing and certification.
The delay, although logistical in nature, has ripple effects across the aviation ecosystem. In anticipation of the airport’s launch, airlines were preparing to transition a portion of their services to the new facility. However, the Slot Coordination Committee—recently formed to manage this shift—has stepped in with a stabilising decision. Meeting earlier this month, the committee unanimously decided to retain all historical slots at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for the Winter 2025 schedule. This move has been welcomed by domestic and international airlines alike. Industry players had raised concerns about losing valuable landing and departure slots, especially during peak travel months, if they were expected to shift services to a not-yet-ready Navi Mumbai airport. The slot retention ensures continuity of operations and gives carriers room to plan without the pressure of last-minute rescheduling.
Freighter operations, another crucial component of Mumbai’s aviation sector, will also remain unaffected during this period. A total of 45 weekly cargo flights, vital to the city’s trade and logistics sector, will continue from the existing Mumbai airport without disruption. Navi Mumbai International Airport is one of the most ambitious urban infrastructure undertakings in the country, envisioned to ease congestion at CSMIA, which currently handles over 5.5 crore passengers annually. Once operational, the airport is expected to handle up to 9 crore passengers per annum in later phases, while aligning with the broader vision of sustainable, decentralised growth in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The phased rollout strategy, while pragmatic, highlights the challenge of balancing progress with operational continuity. Aviation experts believe that deferring the operational shift is preferable to risking premature activation of a key infrastructure node. By ensuring that critical components like the runway meet all regulatory and safety benchmarks, authorities are prioritising long-term reliability over short-term deadlines. With the new airport’s full launch now expected in August 2025, a comprehensive slot redistribution plan between the two airports is expected thereafter. Until then, Mumbai’s air traffic will continue to rely solely on CSMIA, which remains one of the busiest and most efficient single-runway airports in the world.
As cities like Mumbai continue to push for more inclusive, decentralised, and sustainable urban models, transport infrastructure such as NMIA will play a pivotal role in shaping that transition. For now, the city awaits one of its most transformative projects to finally take off—safely and securely.
Also Read :GMR Airports Takes Over Cargo Handling at Delhi International Airport
