India set to open two new international airports in Delhi and Mumbai
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New Delhi: India’s aviation sector is on the brink of a major expansion as its two busiest cities, Delhi and Mumbai, are set to get new international airports this month, easing pressure on their overburdened hubs.
Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is scheduled to open on October 8, followed by Noida International Airport (NIA) on October 30. The new facilities will reduce dependence on a single airport in each megacity and provide greater capacity to handle soaring passenger traffic.
The additions are expected to ease congestion, improve flight schedules and enhance international connectivity, bringing Delhi and Mumbai closer in scale to global aviation hubs such as New York, London, Tokyo and Paris, which are served by multiple airports.
India’s aviation network has long been constrained by reliance on one main airport per city despite rapid growth in air travel. Goa became the country’s first multi-airport state in January 2023 when Mopa Airport began operations alongside Dabolim Airport, boosting combined passenger traffic from 84.6 lakh in 2018–19 to 1.1 crore in 2023–24.
For travelers, the new airports mean more options and smoother connectivity across domestic and international routes. Airlines including IndiGo, Air India and Akasa are also expected to benefit from expanded capacity and new route opportunities.
Industry experts say the projects will transform Delhi-NCR and Mumbai-MMR into genuine global aviation hubs, helping Indian carriers compete more effectively with Middle Eastern and European rivals. Developers GMR, Flughafen Zurich and Adani expect passenger volumes at the new airports to quickly match or even exceed those at the existing terminals.
While Mumbai and Goa’s current airports are already operating at near full capacity, Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport still has room to grow with three terminals and four runways. However, the launch of Noida International Airport is likely to accelerate Delhi’s rise as India’s largest air hub.
With Hindon Airbase also catering to regional and low-cost flights, the national capital region could soon effectively operate three airports, underscoring its emergence as a centre of global aviation.