Air India Express set to operate 20 daily flights from Navi Mumbai airport

The plan does not include flights by Air India itself at this stage, with all operations earmarked for Air India Express

The Air India Group on Tuesday announced that it will launch commercial operations from the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) through its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, starting with 20 daily departures in the initial phase.

 

The plan does not include flights by Air India at this stage, with all operations earmarked for its subsidiary.

 

The group said Air India Express will connect more than 15 Indian cities from NMIA, which is being developed by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL). Operations will be gradually scaled up to 55 daily departures, including up to five international flights, by mid-2026, and further expanded to 60 daily departures by the winter of 2026, it added.

   

AAHL is currently running seven airports in the country, including the Mumbai airport, which is about 38 km away by road from the Navi Mumbai airport.

 

Air India is the third major Indian carrier that has announced plans for services from the Navi Mumbai airport.

 

Previously, IndiGo announced it will be the first carrier to operate from NMIA with 18 daily departures in the initial phase, increasing to 79 daily departures, including 14 international services, by late 2025, and further scaling up to around 140 daily flights by 2026.

 

Akasa Air too had committed to begin with about 15 daily domestic flights, expanding to over 40 domestic services and 8-10 international routes within a year, and ultimately reaching more than 300 weekly domestic and 50 weekly international departures.

 

On Tuesday, Air India CEO & MD Campbell Wilson said the Air India group’s presence at NMIA will help position Mumbai among global cities with more than one airport and strengthen India’s emergence as a key aviation hub. “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,” Wilson said.

 

Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airport Holdings, said Air India Group’s entry underscores the airport’s potential to redefine connectivity in the region. “Their ambitious expansion plans and global vision are perfectly aligned with our aim of making NMIA a benchmark in global aviation,” he said.

 

The Navi Mumbai airport is being built in five phases, with the first phase expected to handle 20 million passengers annually and 0.5 million metric tons of cargo. At full capacity, it will be able to serve 90 million passengers and handle 3.2 million metric tons of cargo a year.