Flattened hills and diverted rivers: India’s new mega-airport opens after decades of delays

By Ayushi Shah, CNN

Mumbai, India (CNN) — After decades of bottlenecks and delays, Mumbai, one of the world’s most crowded cities, finally has a second airport. For travelers, the new Navi Mumbai International Airport promises shorter lines, more flights and a smoother start or finish to their trip than before. For the city, long throttled by a single overburdened airport, it’s an engineering feat.

The airport has been nearly 20 years in the making, a process that involved flattening hills, diverting rivers and bridging creeks. Phase one alone gives the city a terminal built to handle 20 million passengers annually, immediately easing the strain on Mumbai’s existing airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International, or BOM.

In 2019, BOM handled 48.83 million passengers. And today, as one of Asia’s busiest airports, it already serves more than 54 million travelers a year, making delays, long lines and overcrowding part of the city’s air travel experience.

“It’s a great airport. It’s a terrific location,” says Mark D. Martin, an India-based aviation analyst. “But the area is not yet developed. The viability and sustainability of an airport in India purely depend on its access to the population.”

The vision for the new Navi Mumbai airport — NMI — takes into account future growth. By 2032, the airport is expected to have four terminals with the capacity for 90 million passengers a year — putting Mumbai in the same league as global multi-airport hubs like London, New York and Dubai.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the airport on October 8. Addressing media on site at NMI, he said “In 2014, we only had 74 airports. Today, we have more than 160.

With this new airport, Maharashtra farmers will be able to connect with the supermarkets of Europe and Middle East. And the fishermen’s produce can quickly reach the global market.”

According to airport officials, travelers can expect shorter lines, faster check-ins powered by biometrics and smoother connections as airlines begin to expand their routes.

And they are already lining up. Air India Group says its low-cost arm, Air India Express, will begin to offer 20 daily departures out of the new airport, which includes international destinations.

IndiGo, the nation’s largest carrier, will move dozens of daily flights to the airport once operations commence, and add international routes by November. Homegrown budget airline Akasa Air is also moving in, with more than 100 weekly flights to start.

Cargo operations will be just as vital. The airport debuts with 800,000 tons of annual capacity, vital to Mumbai’s role as a pharmaceutical and e-commerce hub. A general aviation terminal will house up to 75 business jets, the largest such facility in India.

It’s no secret that NMI was intended to bring India’s aviation industry up to par with other Asian mega-hubs.

Jeet Adani, director of airports for the Adani Group, which is the key funder of NMI, cited top Asian airports as benchmarks.

“Singapore Changi is known for efficiency and passenger experience. NMI is designed to exceed it in ultimate capacity, while matching its digital backbone. Seoul Incheon and Tokyo Narita are examples of Asian order and technology. We aim to meet those benchmarks on airside, while surpassing them in growth headroom,” he said.

The first test: Mumbai traffic

Visually, NMI was designed to make a statement. Created by Zaha Hadid Architects, its lotus-shaped terminal draws on an ancient Indian motif for purity and resilience. A canopy of golden petals crowns the roof, while interiors blend jaali latticework with modern glass and light to create a softer, calmer passenger experience.

Sustainability runs throughout the design — from natural cooling to renewable energy and water recycling. Inside, the airport promises modern lounges, dining and tech-enabled services aimed at cutting hassle out of the journey.

Getting there, however, remains a sticking point. Connectivity to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) is as ambitious as the terminal itself — but on the ground, the picture is more complicated.

The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, India’s biggest sea bridge, has technically cut travel time to 20 minutes from South Mumbai. But peak-hour traffic on connecting roads could stretch that journey much longer to a couple of hours.

Martin, the aviation analyst, believes that only time will tell how NMI fits into India’s transit framework.

“It takes time for an airport to mature. When you create an airport, it takes time for the additional support systems — things like hotels, accommodation, and access to the city through a strong taxi, metro, bus, or rail network — to develop in equal proportion.”

Metro extensions and express bus routes are still works in progress. Shuttle services will depend on careful coordination with train and bus timetables — not always a given in Mumbai’s tangled transport network. And with no direct metro connection from key commercial districts at launch, most passengers will likely turn to cars and taxis, adding pressure to already clogged roads.

According to Devandra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra state, a water taxi service will run between the Gateway of India monument and NMI. He did not spell out specific plans or a timeline.

For Mumbai, NMI is both a relief and a test. It promises smoother journeys and new opportunities, but its success will hinge on whether the city can solve the ground transport snags that still frustrate travelers. If connectivity catches up with ambition, this second airport could finally give Mumbai the breathing room its passengers have long needed.

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