Thane commuters now have multiple options to reach the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which is poised to become one of Asia’s largest aviation hubs. Spanning 1,160 hectares, the airport will feature one terminal and runway in the first phase, handling 20 million passengers annually. Future phases will expand capacity to four terminals and 90 million passengers per year, along with a cargo capacity of 3.25 million metric tonnes, strengthening Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s (MMR) position as a major connectivity hub.
Officials explained that NMIA has been designed as a multimodal transport node, linking seamlessly to Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), suburban rail, metro lines, and planned waterways, including India’s first airport water taxi service. For Thane residents, the airport lies approximately 35-50 kilometres away, with travel times ranging between 1 to 2 hours depending on traffic. By road, commuters can utilise three main routes. The first involves Thane Belapur Road connecting to Palm Beach Road and Vashi, leading to Ulwe and Pushpak Nagar near the airport. The second option begins from western Thane or Ghodbunder Road, joining Thane Belapur Road via Airoli to reach the airport. The third route utilises Eastern Express Highway to Airoli Bridge, linking to Vashi-Palm Beach-Ulwe. Travel by taxi can cost between Rs 800 and 1,500.
Railway connectivity offers a cost-effective alternative. Trains from Thane to Panvel on the Harbour Line or Trans-Harbour Line take about an hour at Rs 10-20. From Panvel, the remaining 10-15 km can be covered via auto-rickshaw or app-based cab services costing Rs 150-300. In addition, authorities plan dedicated airport express buses from Thane, Pune, Dadar, Vashi, and Panvel, some of which will be electric, along with feeder minibuses, e-rickshaws, and shuttles linking rail and metro stations to NMIA terminals.
Looking ahead, a proposed 26-km elevated double-decker corridor connecting Patni Chowk in Thane to Vashi, with a 9-km connector to NMIA, aims to drastically reduce travel times. Complementary infrastructure includes the Ulwe Coastal Road and Kharghar-Belapur Coastal Road, intended to ease Sion-Panvel congestion and enhance airport access. Construction of these roads is underway, with several expected to open by 2026. Experts highlighted that the combined integration of roads, rail, metro, and future elevated corridors will provide eco-friendly, efficient, and equitable travel options for commuters, reducing private vehicle dependency and supporting the MMR’s sustainable urban mobility goals.
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