- Navi Mumbai International Airport began operations with its first commercial flight landing from Bengaluru
- IndiGo flight 6E460 was welcomed with a water cannon salute, marking the airport's inauguration
- Adani Airports Holdings co-developed airport with City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra
It's Merry Christmas at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) as it commenced operations with the arrival of its first commercial flight.
IndiGo flight 6E460, travelling from Bengaluru, landed at the Navi Mumbai International Airport at 8 am and was welcomed with the water cannon salute, a ceremonial aviation tradition in which fire trucks spray arcs of water over an aircraft as it taxis.
Ahead of the inaugural flight landing, the IndiGo staff were seen cutting a cake and breaking coconuts, an auspicious tradition.
The landing was followed by the airport's first departure, IndiGo flight 6E882 to Hyderabad, which took off at 8:40 am.
Sharing real-time updates on social media, Adani Group wrote: "A new era for Indian aviation takes shape. After years of planning and execution, Navi Mumbai International Airport stands ready to welcome its first flight. Built to serve 90 million passengers annually by the final phase, NMIA is set to unlock new possibilities not just for Mumbai, but for the entire nation."
Adani Airports Holdings, which co-developed the airport with City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP), aims to serve a wide range of travellers, from first-time flyers to frequent corporate passengers.
“The airport is here to cater to all passengers,” Jeet Adani told NDTV Profit. “From the food to the art to the hospitality, everything has been carefully curated, keeping in mind our passengers,” he added.
Navi Mumbai International Airport: 8-Year Journey
First conceived in 1997 by Maharashtra's city planning agency, City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the airport in 2018. The airport was inaugurated by the Prime Minister on October 8 this year.
Since 2021, Adani Airports Holdings Limited (AAHL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), has led the development, construction, and operational readiness of the greenfield airport, progressing it from accelerated construction to phased commercial operations within a compressed time frame.
Now, finally, the airport, inspired by India's national flower, the lotus, the terminal architecture integrated cultural identity, contemporary design and sustainability features, is set for operations after nearly eight years, which also includes two years of the pandemic.
The development is expected to reduce congestion at the existing Mumbai International Airport, besides significantly boosting capacity in the MMR.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)
