Navi Mumbai International Airport Inauguration on October 8: Timings, New Name, Future.
Published 7 Oct 2025, 9:02 PM IST
Key Points
- Inauguration: The Navi Mumbai International Airport will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8, 2025. He is expected to land at the new airport around 2:40 PM and will spend approximately two hours at the site.
- New Name: The airport will be named ‘Loknete DB Patil Navi Mumbai International Airport,’ in honor of the late politician and social activist.
- Phased Operation: The first phase of the airport will have the capacity to handle 20 million passengers annually. Commercial flight operations are expected to commence in December 2025.
- Future Expansion: The airport is planned to be developed in five phases, with a final capacity to handle 90 million passengers per annum, making it one of Asia’s largest aviation hubs.
What it means for Navi Mumbai
The opening of the Navi Mumbai International Airport is a landmark event for the city and the surrounding region. It is poised to be a major economic driver, creating over 2 lakh jobs in various sectors including aviation, logistics, IT, hospitality, and real estate. The airport’s development is also expected to spur infrastructure growth and real estate development in Navi Mumbai and its vicinity.
With its multi-modal connectivity to expressways, highways, metro lines, suburban rail, and even water taxi services, the airport will enhance the region’s connectivity and make it a more attractive destination for businesses and residents alike.
In-Depth About The Airport
After years of anticipation and several revised timelines, the Navi Mumbai International Airport is finally set to become a reality. The inauguration on October 8, 2025, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, marks a significant milestone in India’s aviation history. The new airport will not only alleviate the immense pressure on the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) but will also position Mumbai among the elite group of global cities with twin-airport systems, such as London, New York, and Tokyo.
The airport, a joint venture between the Adani Group and the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO), has been designed with a lotus-inspired theme, blending Indian aesthetics with modern, sustainable engineering. In its initial phase, the airport will operate with a single runway and one terminal, catering to both domestic and international flights. Airlines such as Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air have already announced their plans to shift a portion of their operations to the new facility.
The decision to name the airport after the late D.B. Patil has been a long-standing demand of the local populace, and the official announcement by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has been met with widespread approval.
The Navi Mumbai International Airport is not just an infrastructure project; it is a symbol of India’s growing economic prowess and its ambition to become a global aviation hub. As the first flights take to the skies in December, it will open up a new chapter of growth and development for Navi Mumbai and the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
