December 15, 2025: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has begun the process of appointing a consultant to conduct a detailed techno-commercial feasibility study for a proposed third parallel runway at the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). As part of this initiative, CIDCO has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP), inviting bids from qualified single entities as well as joint ventures or consortia with relevant expertise.
The proposed study is aimed at assessing the long-term operational and commercial viability of adding a third runway, in line with projected growth in air traffic beyond the medium-term expansion plans. “This step reflects CIDCO’s commitment to forward-looking infrastructure planning, ensuring that Navi Mumbai International Airport continues to evolve in line with the region’s long-term growth and development requirements,” said Shri Vijay Singhal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, CIDCO.
Currently, air traffic demand in Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) is primarily handled by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), which has a passenger handling capacity of approximately 50–55 million passengers per annum (MPPA). With NMIA set to become operational, the region is expected to transition into a planned multi-airport system with a combined capacity of around 150 MPPA, including 50–55 MPPA at CSMIA and 90–95 MPPA at NMIA.
While ongoing expansion at NMIA and capacity enhancement at CSMIA are expected to meet medium-term demand, CIDCO is evaluating additional infrastructure such as a third runway to address long-term aviation growth anticipated beyond 2037.
NMIA is being developed over nearly 1,160 hectares and is designed to handle 90 MPPA of passenger traffic along with 3.2 million tonnes of cargo annually. The approved master plan includes two parallel and independent runways and four interconnected passenger terminals. Terminal capacities are planned at 20 MPPA for T1, 30 MPPA for T2, and 20 MPPA each for T3 and T4, aggregating to 90 MPPA.
The airport is being developed in five phases. Phase I and Phase II, with a combined capacity of 20 MPPA, are scheduled to be ready for domestic operations on December 25. Capacity will subsequently increase to 50 MPPA by 2029, 70 MPPA by 2032, and the full 90 MPPA by 2037.
