Mumbai
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The
long-awaited
Navi
Mumbai
International
Airport
(NMIA)
officially
began
commercial
operations
on
25
December,
marking
a
major
milestone
for
Mumbai’s
aviation
network.
Social
media
quickly
picked
up
a
viral
video
of
the
first
IndiGo
flight
taking
off
to
Hyderabad,
showing
the
aircraft
rising
from
the
new
runway
and
confirming
that
the
airport
had
finally
moved
from
a
delayed
construction
project
to
a
fully
operational
hub.
Earlier,
visuals
also
captured
the
first
commercial
landing
at
NMIA,
with
IndiGo
arriving
from
Bengaluru.
Aviation
enthusiasts
and
travellers
shared
the
images
widely
online,
treating
the
day
as
a
milestone
for
Mumbai’s
second
major
air
hub.
On
December
25,
Navi
Mumbai
International
Airport
(NMIA)
commenced
commercial
operations,
with
the
first
IndiGo
flight
departing
to
Hyderabad,
and
Air
India
Express
and
Akasa
Air
also
launching
services.NMIA
handled
15
arrivals
and
15
departures
on
its
first
day,
and
it’s
expected
to
ease
the
congestion
at
Mumbai’s
existing
airport.
First-Day
Flight
Operations
Passenger
operations
began
at
8:00
am
when
the
IndiGo
flight
from
Bengaluru
touched
down.
The
arrival
was
greeted
with
a
traditional
water
cannon
salute,
a
ceremonial
gesture
reserved
for
aviation
firsts.
The
airport’s
first
scheduled
departure
followed
at
8:40
am,
with
IndiGo
flight
6E882
heading
to
Hyderabad.
Videos
of
the
takeoff
went
viral
on
social
media,
showing
the
aircraft
climbing
smoothly
into
the
clear
skies
from
the
freshly
opened
runway.
Airlines
Expand
Services
on
Opening
Day
Several
airlines
started
operations
at
NMIA
on
its
first
day.
Air
India
Express
launched
direct
flights
from
Navi
Mumbai
to
Bengaluru
and
Delhi,
celebrating
the
first
arrival
with
a
ceremonial
boarding
card
reading
“First
Guest
Navi
Mumbai
NMI”.
Akasa
Air
also
commenced
operations,
using
its
new
Boeing
737
MAX
for
the
first
flight
from
NMIA
to
Delhi.
The
airline
shared
videos
of
the
aircraft
on
the
apron
and
photos
of
crew
members
marking
the
inaugural
flight.
Officials
confirmed
that
NMIA
handled
15
arrivals
and
15
departures
on
its
first
day,
even
though
the
airport
is
designed
to
manage
up
to
10
air
traffic
movements
per
hour.
Authorities
said
flight
numbers
will
gradually
increase
as
staff
and
systems
settle
into
routine
operations.
Impact
on
Mumbai
Aviation
With
a
smooth
start
to
operations,
Navi
Mumbai
International
Airport
is
expected
to
ease
congestion
at
Mumbai’s
existing
airport
while
offering
airlines
new
route
options.
Passengers
and
officials
are
watching
closely
as
NMIA’s
schedule
expands
in
the
coming
weeks,
shaping
a
new
pattern
of
air
travel
across
the
Mumbai
region.
