Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar confirmed on Monday that domestic flights are scheduled to begin operations from the new Navi Mumbai International Airport in April 2025, following successful trial flights at the facility. The announcement came during Pawar's Budget presentation to the Maharashtra Assembly.

The Finance Minister reported that construction of the Navi Mumbai airport has reached 85 percent completion. Located at Ulwe in Navi Mumbai and spanning 1,160 hectares, the facility is designed to accommodate 90 million passengers and handle 2.6 million tonnes of cargo annually.

Pawar also unveiled plans for a third airport to serve the Mumbai region, proposing a new facility near Vadhvan Port in Palghar district. Additionally, he announced forthcoming work on a metro route connecting the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport with the new Navi Mumbai facility, and plans to add night landing capabilities at Shirdi airport. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train station will be established near Vadhvan Port, according to the Deputy Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, Terminal 1 at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is scheduled for renovation beginning November 2025. According to the Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), the redevelopment will proceed in phases, starting with demolition of the current structure followed by construction of the new terminal. During this period, Terminal 2 and the newly operational Navi Mumbai International Airport will manage passenger traffic.

The Terminal 1 renovation project, expected to be completed by 2029, aims to increase its annual passenger capacity by 42 percent to 20 million travelers. Throughout the construction period, both Terminal 2 and the new Navi Mumbai airport will accommodate the region's air traffic needs.