What Navi Mumbai International Airport will offer for air cargo

The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), the second airport serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) alongside the existing Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), is nearing its inauguration on September 30th. The spotlight is not only on enhanced passenger convenience but also on its state-of-the-art cargo facilities, which promise to transform Maharashtra into India’s logistics powerhouse.

As a greenfield airport, NMIA is developing its cargo infrastructure in multiple phases. In the first phase, NMIA will feature a dedicated, integrated cargo terminal with an annual handling capacity of 0.5 million tonnes. Over the next 10–12 years, the facility will be expanded through successive phases, ultimately reaching a capacity of 3.25 million tonnes upon completion of phase five.

NMIA’s key advantage lies in its geographic proximity to JNPT (Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust), which is on track to become India’s first port to handle 10 million TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) and enter the ranks of the world’s top ports by 2027.

The airport will feature multimodal transport connectivity, including expressways, highways, arterial roads, metro, suburban and high-speed rail, as well as waterways, ensuring rapid movement of cargo and passengers. Key clusters near Mumbai, such as Alibag, JNPT, Panvel, Nerul, and Thane, will be accessible within 1.5 hours, while the farthest location, Bhiwandi, will be reachable within 2.5 hours.

This close proximity enables sea-air transshipment of high-value cargo, allowing goods arriving at JNPT to be quickly processed and airlifted to Europe, North America, or Asia within hours. Integrated free trade and warehousing zones, supported by dedicated freight corridors, will streamline cargo clearance for importers and exporters, facilitating seamless re-exports. Together, JNPT and NMIA will handle the full spectrum of shipments, from bulk containerised cargo to time-sensitive air freight, according to an official release from NMIA.

In its final phase, the airport will feature two parallel runways. However, only one will be operational initially, allowing for simultaneous operations. The second runway is scheduled for construction in a subsequent phase. NMIA will commence domestic cargo operations at launch, with international cargo handling expected to begin in the following months.

NMIA will have 11 dedicated freighter stands, of which seven are already ready. In the next phase, the remaining four will be completed. All stands will accommodate Code D and Code F aircraft, Code D aircraft have a wingspan of 36 m up to but less than 52 m, including models such as the Boeing 767F. Code F aircraft are significantly larger, with a wingspan of 65 m up to but less than 80 m, and include the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8F.

The airport will feature a dedicated international cargo terminal, a domestic cargo terminal, and a courier/express cargo terminal.

The entire cargo facility spans approximately 35,000 square metres, of which around 10,000 square metres is allocated for domestic operations, with the remainder designated for international cargo.

NMIA Cargo will feature automated storage and retrieval systems, advanced screening technology, and real-time tracking platforms to ensure faster, more reliable, and transparent handling. NMIA has integrated freight infrastructure into its core design, enabling seamless customs clearance, efficient transshipment, and world-class cold chain systems. For high-value and sensitive segments such as pharmaceuticals, perishables, and precision engineering.

The airport is also rolling out several new initiatives in India’s cargo sector. These include a fully automated cargo terminal with robotic sorting and AI-enabled monitoring, expected to reduce turnaround times by about 40 percent. A dedicated perishables cargo village with farm-to-flight cold chain corridors will handle produce such as grapes, mangoes, onions, and cut flowers from Maharashtra and nearby regions. Plans also include a Pharma Excellence Centre with GDP-compliant, temperature-controlled zones for the life sciences industry. In addition, the airport is adopting a paperless cargo system that uses blockchain-based digital customs processes to cut paperwork and delays. Provision has also been made for a drone and express cargo zone, aimed at supporting growth in e-commerce and drone-based logistics.

While Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) already handles air cargo operations, both CSMIA and NMIA will continue to operate simultaneously in the future. Cargo operations at the two airports will run in parallel, complementing each other rather than replacing one another.