By Pranjal Gupta

Copyright timesnownews

Mumbai: Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will be officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday. This new airport is a partnership between Mumbai International Airport Ltd (part of Adani Airports) and the City and Industrial Development Corporation CIDCO. It is designed by a London-based architectural firm by late Zaha Hadid, Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). The centre of attraction is that the building is shaped to look like a floating lotus, inspired by India’s national flower. Also Read: How to Reach Navi Mumbai Airport via Atal Setu, Rail, and Metro: A Complete Guide Here are 10 key things to know about the airport: First Flights in December: Though the airport opens this week, commercial flights will start in December. It’s not yet clear which airline will operate the first flight.Four Gates, Three Centres: The airport has four gates and three main areas named Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. It has 88 check-in counters, including both staffed and self-check-in options. 3. Operating Hours: Initially, flights will run from 8 am to 8 pm. The airport will manage 10 flights per hour during this early phase.4. Terminals and Runways: NMIA plans to have four terminals and two runways. For now, only one terminal and one runway will be used. The second terminal is being designed, and more investment is planned.5. Advanced Landing System: The airport will use a special technology to make landing in poor weather safe. The landing system will be designed to tackle low-visibility in fog or heavy rain, better than Mumbai’s current airport. 6. International Hub: Similar to Dubai and Heathrow, Indian authorities also want to make NMIA an international hub. The airport will handle 20 million passengers per year initially, which will be expanded to increase to 90 million in the future.7. Cargo and Maintenance Hub: Like Shanghai, the NMIA is planning to build the largest aircraft maintenance and cargo hub in India. 8. Young Travellers: Most visitors (64%) are young people who are tech-savvy. The airport has digital boarding gates to speed up the travel process.9. Food Halls: Instead of regular food courts, passengers can order food from multiple outlets at once and get it delivered to their gate. The airport includes popular restaurants and shared dining areas.10. Digital Art: The airport features digital art installations and large LED screens to welcome travellers and create a relaxing atmosphere before boarding.