Navi Mumbai International Airport completes passenger trial ahead of December 25 launch

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has successfully completed its first full-scale passenger trial on 29 and 30 November, marking an important step towards its opening next month. The airport is preparing to begin commercial operations on 25 December.

The trial involved several hundred volunteers, who took part in a complete simulation of the passenger journey. This included check-in, security checks, boarding procedures, and baggage collection, allowing airport authorities to test every stage of the process under realistic conditions. 

In a video shared on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, NMIA showed volunteers moving through different checkpoints. The airport said the aim was to check the readiness of systems, coordination between teams, and overall passenger flow, ensuring smooth operations before the first flights take off.

Sharing the achievement, NMIA posted: “We look forward to welcoming you all soon! As we prepare for flights on December 25, our ORAT Team successfully completed our first ever full-scale integrated passenger trial with hundreds of simulated travellers. From check-in with IndiGo, Akasa, and Air India Express to security, boarding, and baggage reclaim—every step was tested to perfection. A huge thank you to our first passengers, CISF, L&T, our airline partners, and the entire NMIAL team for making this milestone possible.”

From 25 December, Akasa Air, IndiGo and Air India Express will begin flying from the new airport, connecting Navi Mumbai directly to major cities such as Delhi, Goa, Kochi, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow.

The opening of NMIA is expected to ease congestion at Mumbai’s main airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, which currently handles far more traffic than its designed capacity.

Constructed at a cost of INR 19,650 crore, NMIA was inaugurated on 8 October by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Once operational, it will be one of India’s most modern airports and the country’s largest greenfield aviation project, designed to support the growing demand for air travel in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.