Mumbai’s inability to expand passenger capacity over the past decade has prevented it from becoming India’s leading global aviation hub, according to Jeet Adani, Director of Airports at Adani Airports Holdings Ltd (AAHL). Speaking to Moneycontrol, he noted that Mumbai should be compared with cities like London, which operates five airports to handle international and domestic traffic, whereas Mumbai has only two, with a third under discussion. The city’s main airport has remained capped at 55 million passengers for ten years, limiting long-haul connectivity, which shifted growth to Delhi.
The upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), set to open on December 25, 2025, will add 20 million passengers of capacity, raising the region’s total to 75 million, though demand will still exceed supply. A third runway at NMIA would require a full redesign, independent terminals, and infrastructure to meaningfully increase capacity, given that the two existing runways are just 1.5 km apart. While a third airport near Palghar has been proposed, both options remain conceptual. Adani emphasized that without multiple airports and continued capacity growth, Mumbai risks lagging behind global hubs.
