Speaking on the sidelines of the BCBA Logistics Conclave, the CEO said customs authorities have completed a review of the airport’s readiness, and key notifications required for international operations have already been issued.
“Member Customs reviewed the readiness yesterday, and relevant notifications have been promulgated. The last notification is expected to be completed today. This will be followed by Section 45 approval and trial runs for courier and cargo operations. We expect Customs to issue a trade notice around July 5,” he said.
The airport plans to launch international freighter operations from July 15, initially ramping up to around 18 weekly freighter flights.
“We are starting with freighters on July 15 and expect to scale up to almost 18 weekly flights. There is also movement on the passenger side, and hopefully international passenger flights will also start on July 15,” the CEO said.
IndiGo, Air India Express To Lead International Operations
While the final international schedule is still being worked out, the CEO confirmed that both IndiGo and Air India Express have filed plans to commence international services from Navi Mumbai.
“The filings have just started. Earlier filings made before March were cancelled because of the geopolitical situation. Fresh filings have now happened, including by Air India Express. Air India Express and IndiGo are both going to put international flights in Navi Mumbai,” he said.
The airport expects initial international services to focus on short-haul destinations, particularly in the Gulf region and nearby international markets.
“It will be short-haul sectors to start with. It could be Gulf and other short-haul sectors,” he added.
Flights To More Than Double By December
Navi Mumbai International Airport currently handles 149 flights daily across 46 destinations and serves over 20,000 passengers every day.
“So far we have handled more than 2 million passengers,” the CEO said.
The airport expects rapid growth over the coming months, with daily flight movements projected to more than double by the end of the year.
“Today we are doing about 149 flights to 45-46 destinations. By December, we expect to ramp up to more than 300 flights,” he said.
Cargo To Play Central Role
The airport is betting heavily on cargo as a long-term growth driver. The CEO said air freight contributes a disproportionately high share of trade value despite accounting for a smaller share of total cargo volumes.
“Though air freight is a lower percentage by volume, by value it is nearly 30%. For India to become a true Viksit Bharat, air freight will play a major role,” he said.
The airport’s master plan provides for a cargo handling capacity of 3.2 million metric tonnes annually, nearly matching India’s current annual air cargo throughput of approximately 3.35 million tonnes.
Domestic cargo movement is already gaining traction, with belly cargo accounting for nearly 70% of current volumes at the airport.
Larger Terminal 2 Planned
Looking ahead, the airport operator has revised expansion plans and is now designing a significantly larger Terminal 2 than originally envisaged.
Instead of a 30-million-passenger facility, the new terminal is being planned with capacity for around 50 million passengers. Once fully developed, the airport is expected to handle 90 million passengers annually, with international travellers accounting for nearly half of Terminal 2’s capacity.
“The design work has just started because earlier we were planning a 30-million-passenger terminal. Now we are planning a bigger terminal and redesigning it,” the CEO said.
The airport operator said future expansion will be carried out in phases, with additional capacity being opened depending on traffic growth and demand.
