Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM), the busiest single-runway airport in the world, will be joined by the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) from as soon as the end of the year.
In December 2023, BOM broke the record for the busiest month, handling about 4,88 million passengers, reports simplyflying.com.
A second airport in Mumbai was proposed in the 1990s. The airport’s plans were approved in 2010, and its construction began in 2021.
NMIA, 40km from BOM, will feature two runways, three passenger terminals, and two cargo terminals. It will be connected to BOM via the Mumbai Metro and Navi Mumbai Rapid Metro.
The airport is being developed in three phases. Phase one will be able to handle 25 million passengers per annum. It will be expanded to its final capacity in 2032, with facilities such as helicopter pads and the capability to handle 90 million passengers.
The lotus-shaped airport will initially serve regional routes. However, according to Indian Express and simpleflying.com, the airport will act as an international hub to improve the capacity for global connectivity.
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, expects the airport to begin operations towards the end of the year, but other sources think closer to March 2025 is likely.
