Navi Mumbai Airport Set to Open, Boosting Pune Connectivity

29 Sep 2025 CW Team

Local residents have highlighted the reduced travel time: Rahul Jadhav of Dange Chowk noted it takes around 2.5 hours to reach NMIA compared with four hours to Mumbai airport. Shubham Doiphode of Dehuroad added that long-haul flights to Europe, previously accessible only via Delhi or Bangalore due to Pune’s shorter runway, will now be easier to reach via NMIA using the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.

The first phase of NMIA is reportedly 94 per cent complete, initially accommodating 60 flights per day, with plans to expand to 300 flights daily within six months. Phase 1 is designed to handle 20 million passengers annually, rising to 90 million per year after the completion of dual runways and all four terminals.

Residents also expect reduced delays and cancellations at both Pune and Mumbai airports. Pune’s Lohegaon airport, limited in capacity for larger cargo planes, will see relief with NMIA’s launch. Industrialist Vinay Sawant from Bhosari noted that industries and MNCs in Bhosari, Talegaon, and Chakan MIDC will benefit from easier access for visiting international clients.

Exporters in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad will also gain from the new airport. Mahesh Yelwande of Nighoje said it will lower logistics costs and reduce travel time for perishable consignments, particularly fruits and vegetables.

To ensure seamless connectivity, the state government plans to integrate bus, metro, and rail services with NMIA. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will run dedicated buses linking Pune, Dadar, Vashi, and Panvel.

Spanning 1,160 hectares, NMIA has been constructed in phases and features a 47-MW solar power capacity, reflecting a focus on sustainable infrastructure.

The much-anticipated Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is generating excitement as its September 30 opening nears. Designed with a lotus-inspired layout and expansive terminals, the airport offers residents of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad a convenient alternative to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.Local residents have highlighted the reduced travel time: Rahul Jadhav of Dange Chowk noted it takes around 2.5 hours to reach NMIA compared with four hours to Mumbai airport. Shubham Doiphode of Dehuroad added that long-haul flights to Europe, previously accessible only via Delhi or Bangalore due to Pune’s shorter runway, will now be easier to reach via NMIA using the Pune-Mumbai Expressway.The first phase of NMIA is reportedly 94 per cent complete, initially accommodating 60 flights per day, with plans to expand to 300 flights daily within six months. Phase 1 is designed to handle 20 million passengers annually, rising to 90 million per year after the completion of dual runways and all four terminals.Residents also expect reduced delays and cancellations at both Pune and Mumbai airports. Pune’s Lohegaon airport, limited in capacity for larger cargo planes, will see relief with NMIA’s launch. Industrialist Vinay Sawant from Bhosari noted that industries and MNCs in Bhosari, Talegaon, and Chakan MIDC will benefit from easier access for visiting international clients.Exporters in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad will also gain from the new airport. Mahesh Yelwande of Nighoje said it will lower logistics costs and reduce travel time for perishable consignments, particularly fruits and vegetables.To ensure seamless connectivity, the state government plans to integrate bus, metro, and rail services with NMIA. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) will run dedicated buses linking Pune, Dadar, Vashi, and Panvel.Spanning 1,160 hectares, NMIA has been constructed in phases and features a 47-MW solar power capacity, reflecting a focus on sustainable infrastructure.

Real Estate

28 Nov 2025

Open and Shut Case

Fenestrations aren’t just openings in a building, nor are they part of the background. With the right materiality and detailing, they become filters that set the tone, a powerful design element that influences light, air, sound, mood, movement and privacy, while meaningfully connecting inner and outer spaces.Essentially, doors and windows are transitions and thinking of them so underscores their role in building design. “Good architecture pays attention to transitions,” says Meinathan N, Founder and Principal Architect, Architecture+Swath, and rightfully so. “The right height, the..

Real Estate

28 Nov 2025

Rethinking Tall Buildings!

The 88-storey Palais Royale in Mumbai. The 64-storey One Avighna Park in Mumbai. The 41-storey Wave One, Noida. All members of India’s small but growing number of skyscrapers, mostly in Mumbai, Bengaluru and Gurugram.Rapid urbanisation in the light of land constraints is making the question of ‘how tall’ increasingly crucial. “The ‘height of affordability’ is a critical consideration,” says Anuja Sawant, Principal, SSA, and Director, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat India Chapter.There is a strong case for building taller. But “the optimal height of a building i..

Infrastructure Urban

28 Nov 2025

We are ready to play a key role in India’s clean-energy transition

SPML Infra Ltd has been developing critical infrastructure projects for water supply, power transmission & distribution and urban development. In a rich legacy of over four decades, the company has successively delivered more than 700 projects, thus providing clean drinking water facilities to over 50 million people, connecting more than 20,000 villages with electricity and installing high-capacity AIS and GIS substations across the country. Abhinandan Sethi, Managing Director, SPML Infra, shares more about the company’s projects and prospects. Please share the compositio..