Overview

• Officials deferred the September 30 ceremony to an October date after heavy rains left loose soil and muck on approach roads to the Ulwe site.
• The Prime Minister’s Office informed Maharashtra that Narendra Modi will not attend on September 30.
• Air India Group confirmed launch operations at the new hub, with Air India Express set to run 20 daily flights to 15 Indian cities at opening and aiming for 55 daily departures by mid-2026.
• IndiGo and Akasa outlined initial schedules of 18 and 15 daily domestic flights respectively, with both carriers planning rapid scale-ups over the first 18 months.
• Operational readiness is advancing, with NMIAL leasing 405 staff flats in Panvel from October 2025, NMMC deploying more than 50 electric buses and Central Railway adding Nerul/Belapur–Uran services from October, while the state has proposed naming the airport after the late D B Patil subject to Centre approval.