Rising air travel demand in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region could necessitate the development of a third airport, according to B V J K Sharma, CEO of Navi Mumbai International Airport. Speaking at the Airport 360 Expo, Sharma highlighted the growing gap between passenger demand and available infrastructure, stating, “There is still room for a third airport.”
The region is expected to generate demand for nearly 180 million passengers, while the combined capacity of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and NMIA is projected to reach around 150 million at full utilisation. NMIA itself is being designed to handle up to 90 million passengers, complementing the existing airport’s capacity of about 60 million.
This shortfall comes amid rapid expansion in India’s aviation sector. Passenger traffic reached approximately 412 million in 2025, nearly 30% higher than pre-pandemic levels, and is expected to exceed 500 million before 2030. Long-term projections suggest that annual passenger numbers could touch 1 billion by 2047. “Our growth would be rapid,” Sharma said, underlining the scale and speed of this increase.
Within this context, NMIA is positioned as a key driver of the broader “Mumbai 3.0” development vision. The airport is part of an investment pipeline estimated at ₹80,000 crore, while the surrounding ecosystem—including logistics, real estate and infrastructure—could attract investments of up to ₹4 lakh crore. “I can foresee a sea change happening in the next 10 years, especially in and around Navi Mumbai,” Sharma said.
As demand continues to rise, Sharma’s remarks indicate that long-term planning for additional aviation capacity in Mumbai may need to begin sooner, reinforcing the role of airports as vital engines of urban and economic growth.
Source: Financial Express
