Daijiworld Media Network- Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai, Aug 27: The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which is gearing up for inauguration in September, has announced that its Phase 1 facilities are ready. This includes parking for 42 commercial aircraft stands and 23 dedicated slots for private jets and general aviation aircraft, offering much-needed relief to the long-standing shortage of private aircraft parking in the Mumbai region.
According to airport officials, Phase 1 will cater to 2 crore passengers annually and will serve as the foundation for a larger expansion plan. In subsequent phases, the airport will scale up to over 360 commercial stands and around 89 private jet positions.
Executives said the project will also house India’s largest general aviation tower, equipped with hangars and apron space for corporate and leisure aircraft. This section will be seamlessly linked to the airside for smooth operations. Notices have already been issued to private aircraft owners at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai, asking them to prepare for relocation to the new facility.
“All private planes have to be parked, and hence the need for parking will be huge. With new licences being issued by DGCA, demand will only increase,” said Arun Bansal, CEO of Adani Airport Holdings, which is spearheading the development.
Currently, Mumbai airport has slots for 19 private jets at T1, all of which are expected to be shifted to NMIA shortly.
The airport’s Phase 1 parking includes 42 stands for commercial aircraft, with 29 of them being contact gates. A 3,700-metre runway, supported by parallel taxiways, is also in place. Later phases will progressively increase commercial stand capacity to 153, then 187, and finally more than 360 positions.
On the cargo front, NMIA will feature an integrated terminal with 79 dedicated cargo stands. This will include semi-automated handling, cold chain logistics, specialised storage for perishables and hazardous goods, and 100 per cent screening for exports. Its proximity—14 km from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust—will enable seamless multimodal freight movement.
Officials said the phased development strategy is aligned with projected air traffic growth. By 2050, passenger numbers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region are expected to reach 25 crore annually, with NMIA alone designed to handle up to 9 crore passengers per year, while maintaining significant private jet and cargo capacity.