Abu Dhabi flyers, Good News! Air India Express to start direct flights from Navi Mumbai in July

Air India Group's low-cost arm Air India Express is set to start international flights to Abu Dhabi from the airport on July 15, with bookings for the inaugural flight likely to open on Saturday, according to PTI citing a source.

The start of international passenger services is expected to coincide with the launch of freight operations from the airport. On June 17, Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd (NMIAL) chief executive officer BVJK Sharma told the media that the airport was looking to begin international operations for both passengers and freight from July 15.

The Adani Group-owned Navi Mumbai Airport, in which the Maharashtra government's urban planning and infrastructure development agency Cidco holds a 26 per cent stake, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October last year. It began domestic commercial operations on December 25, 2025. Sharma said other domestic and foreign airlines are also likely to follow. An Air India Express spokesperson could not be contacted for comments.

"On July 15, we are starting with freighters, and we expect the freighters to ramp up to almost 18 weekly flights. Good news is also that there is movement on the passenger side and hopefully on July 15 international passenger flights will also start," the NMIAL CEO had told reporters on the sidelines of the Brihanmumbai Customs Broker's Association-hosted Logistics Conclave in the financial capital.

Sharma had made the announcement after Member (Customs), a senior official within the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), reviewed the airport's readiness for international operations on June 16. The airport operator had earlier planned to launch international services from the start of the airline's summer schedule, which runs from the last week of March to the last week of October, but had to postpone it due to the West Asia conflict.

At present, Navi Mumbai International Airport handles around 20,000 passengers a day with 150 departures and arrivals. The airport expects daily passenger footfall to rise to 50,000 by the end of the year, along with 380 air traffic movements, including arrivals and departures, each day.