Abu Dhabi: At 2.55am (IST) Wednesday, Air India Express flight IX 207 to Abu Dhabi lifted off from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), becoming the first international commercial flight to depart from the city’s long-awaited second airport and formally launching its overseas operations.The historic departure was marked by a ceremonial send-off. Three “Follow Me” vehicles escorted the eight-month-old Boeing 737 aircraft in an arrowhead formation as it taxied to the runway of the seven-month-old airport. Back at the international terminal, ground staff lined up in a guard of honour, watching the aircraft accelerate into the night sky.Shortly after take-off, Captain Shapoor Irani informed passengers that the aircraft would pass over the Elephanta Caves and south Mumbai before heading across the Arabian Sea. About one hour and 40 minutes into the flight, it entered Muscat airspace before descending into Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport roughly 30 minutes later. The moderately full flight, with only a handful of empty seats, landed at around 4.15am local time.For now, the thrice-weekly Air India Express service will remain NMIA’s only international route. Airport officials said no additional overseas flights are expected before September.“One international carrier has booked slots beginning in September. Other airlines, including IndiGo, have expressed interest, but no additional slots have been confirmed yet,” an airport official said.The launch comes at a time of heightened uncertainty in Middle East aviation after the ceasefire between Iran and the US-backed coalition fell through just days ago, reviving concerns over regional stability and airline operations. “Once the regional situation stabilises, we hope airlines will begin operating more services from this airport,” a senior terminal official said. “Airlines operate on very thin margins, and stability will encourage carriers to expand.”NMIA is banking on a catchment area extending beyond the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. “We expect to draw international passengers all the way from Pune. Since the Missing Link has become operational, travel time between Pune and Navi Mumbai has reduced significantly, making this airport an attractive alternative for overseas travellers,” an airport official said.Inside the terminal, NMIA has commissioned 66 conventional check-in counters and 22 self-service kiosks serving both domestic and international passengers. Some facilities, however, are still awaiting regulatory approvals. “There is presently no smoking area. The smoking lounge is pending security approval,” an airport official said.The passenger processing sequence also differs from Mumbai’s existing international airport. At Navi Mumbai, immigration formalities are completed before security screening. Officials said passengers wishing to leave the airport after clearing immigration— because of an emergency, a delayed flight or any other reason — would have to first cancel their immigration clearance, a process that could take several hours.The terminal’s duty-free outlet also recorded its first customers. An oilfield worker became its inaugural shopper after purchasing chocolates before boarding the flight, while the second customer, a businessman, bought perfumes and souvenirs worth several thousand rupees.NMIA currently has 72 aircraft parking bays, including seven capable of accommodating wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 747 and Boeing 767 at the cargo terminal, although no scheduled wide-body passenger operations are planned immediately.The airport currently has the capacity to process around 2,500 passengers every hour.
