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Adani Group is set to invest an additional Rs. 30,000 crore in the expansion of Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), taking its total investment in the project to around Rs. 50,000 crore.
The airport, which is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 8, will begin operations in December this year.
According to senior executives at Adani Airport Holdings, the fresh investment will fund the next phase of development, including the second terminal, which is expected to be completed by 2029. “The design work for the second-phase terminal has already begun, and we expect to commission it by 2029,” said a company executive.
The group plans to finance the expansion through a mix of debt and equity. Although Adani Group has long-term plans to list its airport holding company, executives have not provided a timeline. The Maharashtra government holds a 26% stake in the Navi Mumbai airport project, with Adani Group owning the remaining share.
India’s largest airport by capacity
Once fully developed, the Navi Mumbai International Airport will have a total passenger handling capacity of 90 million per annum (mppa), making it the largest airport in India. The first phase — to be inaugurated this week — will operate with a single runway and cater to 20 million passengers annually, handling both domestic and international flights from Day One.
The airport has already signed agreements with Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Air India for operations. “With Akasa, IndiGo, and Air India onboard, the first-phase capacity is nearly filled. The facility will handle 20–23 aircraft movements per hour initially and can scale up as traffic grows,” an executive said.
Connectivity and infrastructure boost
Connectivity has been a major focus for the new airport. The recently opened Atal Setu bridge has reduced travel time between South Mumbai and Navi Mumbai to about 20 minutes. Additional links are planned through upcoming Metro extensions and the proposed Mumbai–Hyderabad high-speed rail corridor, which will pass near the airport’s eastern perimeter.
The second phase of development will add capacity for another 30 million passengers and include a large cargo terminal and India’s biggest maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, equipped with five major hangars. When fully operational, the cargo terminal will handle up to 3.8 million tonnes of freight annually, positioning Navi Mumbai as one of India’s leading cargo hubs.
“Our ambition is to make Mumbai and Navi Mumbai the twin hubs for cargo. India doesn’t have a true cargo hub yet, and Navi Mumbai will help fill that gap,” an Adani Airport executive said.
Aiming for global hub status
Adani Group also plans to turn Navi Mumbai into a global passenger hub, comparable to Dubai, by leveraging the international expansion plans of Air India and IndiGo. The airport’s design allows seamless international transfers, with the company awaiting regulatory clearance for direct ramp-to-ramp passenger and cargo movement — eliminating repetitive security and customs checks.
Spread across 1,160 hectares, the airport will ultimately feature four terminals connected by automated people movers, underground fuel hydrant systems, and efficient cargo and passenger transport networks. Once all four terminals are operational, total capacity could reach up to 100 mppa.
Adani Group, which already operates eight airports across India, views Navi Mumbai as the centrepiece of its aviation portfolio. “With India’s economic growth, manufacturing push, and the need for a global aviation hub, Navi Mumbai will play a pivotal role in realising that vision,” the executive said.
