MUMBAI— Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) will offer airlines a full waiver on landing charges for international passenger flights during their first year of operation under a revised incentive plan approved by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA). The measure is designed to attract more international services to the new airport and accelerate traffic growth.
The revised Variable Tariff Plan (VTP) covers both short-haul and long-haul international routes. Air India Express (IX), which launched the airport’s first international service to Abu Dhabi on July 15, 2026, became the first carrier to establish an overseas connection from Navi Mumbai.
AERA Waives Landing Charges
Under the revised VTP, airlines operating international passenger routes from Navi Mumbai will pay no landing charges during the first year.
The benefit will then fall to a 50% discount in the second year for short-haul routes, while long-haul services will receive a 50% discount in the second year and a 25% discount in the third year.
AERA defines short-haul international routes as those covering up to 5,000 km, while services exceeding 5,000 km fall into the long-haul category.
The incentive therefore gives airlines a stronger cost advantage when launching new overseas services from the airport, particularly during the initial period when routes are being established.
New Routes Get Priority
The revised scheme changes how airlines qualify for the incentive. Instead of requiring a route to be new across the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region, eligibility is now tied specifically to international routes operating from Navi Mumbai International Airport.
That change means an airline can receive the incentive for a route from Navi Mumbai even if the same city pair is already served from Mumbai’s existing airport.
The revised approach gives airlines greater flexibility to distribute international capacity between the two airports while allowing Navi Mumbai to develop its own network.
Additional international frequencies will also receive discounted landing charges. Short-haul frequency increases qualify for a 50% discount in the first year, while long-haul additional frequencies receive a 75% discount during the same period.
Cargo Gets Major Incentive at NMIA
International freighter operations receive an even larger reduction under the revised structure. Eligible cargo flights will receive a 90% landing-charge waiver in the first year, followed by a 50% discount in the second year.
The incentives come as Navi Mumbai expands beyond its initial domestic network. The airport began commercial operations on December 25, 2025, with an initial Phase 1 capacity of 20 million passengers annually, before launching scheduled international operations less than seven months later.
AERA said the modification is intended to encourage airlines to introduce and sustain international connectivity while linking the incentive to traffic development and airport utilisation, ET flagged.
With the revised VTP, Navi Mumbai now has a broader financial tool to attract international passenger and cargo operators as it builds its position within the Mumbai aviation market.
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