The ongoing conflict in West Asia has pushed back the start of international flights from Navi Mumbai airport, but domestic flights are seeing an increase in loads, a senior executive said on the sidelines of Airports 360 Expo on Thursday.
Domestic flights at Navi Mumbai began last Christmas and frequency has now increased to 156 services daily. The airport is handling around 20,000 passengers daily, with the number of passengers per flight increasing from around 155 to 170. Daily traffic is expected to grow to 50,000 passengers by December, he said.
International flights from Navi Mumbai were expected to start from March-end, but plans have now got postponed due to the ongoing Iran-US conflict and the resultant increase in jet fuel price.
The senior executive said IndiGo was planning to start international flights from Navi Mumbai from March 29 but that has been deferred now. “I can’t put an exact date for the start of international flights,” he said.
Airport expansion
The airport expansion, however, remains on track and is not impacted by the conflict. Planning and design work for the second terminal is underway and construction is expected to start after the monsoon season. The second terminal will increase passenger handling capacity from 20 million to 50 million. “We are looking at simplified designs and standardised equipment. Wherever possible, we will use precast material,” he added.
As per the master plan, the Navi Mumbai airport will be developed in five phases with an eventual handling capacity of 90 million passengers per year. According to the executive, Adani group will invest around ₹80,000 crore in the project, covering both airport expansion and land-side development.
The Navi Mumbai airport has also requested the Maharashtra government to reduce value-added tax on aviation turbine fuel to 1 per cent from the existing 18 per cent. “Greenfield airport like ours have their own challenges and hand-holding from the government is required to support growth,” he said
Published on April 23, 2026