Inaugural flights mark long-awaited start for Mumbai’s second airport

Commercial operations commenced at ’ on Thursday, closing a years-long wait and adding critical capacity to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The first arrival, flight 6E460 from Bengaluru, landed at 08:00 hours and received a ceremonial water cannon salute, a tradition for inaugural services. Minutes later, the airport logged its first departure as IndiGo flight 6E882 took off for Hyderabad at 08:40 hours, completing NMIA’s initial arrival departure cycle. Officials said the start of services will help decongest the city’s primary airport, improve connectivity, and support future passenger and cargo growth.