Quick answer: Mumbai Airport (BOM/CSMIA) and Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI/NMIA) are separate airports. If your flights use different airports, plan a landside transfer between the exact terminals shown on your bookings. Confirm baggage collection, ground transport, onward check-in deadlines and any connection protection with your airlines or booking provider. Do not treat CSMIA’s Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 shuttle as a transfer to NMIA, since that service only covers CSMIA’s own two terminals.
NaviMumbai.com is an independent information website and is not affiliated with CSMIA, NMIA, or their operator. Confirm your specific terminal, check-in deadline and transfer requirements with your airline and both airports directly.
First: Confirm the Terminal on Each Booking, Not Just the Airline
NMIA currently operates from a single terminal. CSMIA operates two, and which one a given flight uses is not fixed by airline alone; CSMIA’s own airline information page lists some carriers against a single terminal and others against either terminal depending on the specific flight. Terminal assignments can also change over time. Check the airport code and terminal confirmed for each flight using your airline’s current flight-status information and latest booking notification, and recheck before travelling rather than assuming a terminal from the airline name.
An Inter-Airport Transfer Is Different from a Terminal Transfer
CSMIA publishes a complimentary shuttle service between its own Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, with pick-up points at the Terminal 1 arrival exit near Departure Gate 2 and at Terminal 2’s Level-1 ground transportation area. That service moves passengers between CSMIA’s two terminals only; it does not cover travel to or from NMIA. NMIA’s own Transit Guide, in turn, covers passengers connecting between two flights at NMIA itself, not a connection to or from CSMIA. We did not find either airport publishing a dedicated shuttle, coach, or facilitated transfer between CSMIA and NMIA. That is not confirmed in the sources we reviewed, not a claim that no such service could ever exist; check current airport and operator information before relying on one.
Separate Tickets vs an Airline-Arranged Connection
Separate tickets do not automatically provide protection for a missed onward flight. Check each airline’s conditions and any protection offered by your booking provider for your specific itinerary. If your first flight is disrupted, contact both the operating airline and the onward airline promptly. Do not assume that either will arrange or pay for a replacement onward flight or for the ground transfer between airports, unless your booking specifically confirms that. If you have a single itinerary booked across both airports with stated handling terms, follow what your airline or booking confirmation actually states, since this route doesn’t fit the usual same-airport transit model that most standard transit rules assume.
Baggage: Plan to Handle It Yourself
Unless your airline explicitly confirms arrangements for your particular inter-airport itinerary, plan to collect your checked bags at the arrival airport, carry them during the ground transfer, and check them in again at the departure airport. An onward baggage tag alone should not be treated as confirmation that someone will transport your bags between the two airports for you; confirm who is physically responsible for that transfer, not merely whether your ticket shows baggage as “through checked.”
Immigration, Customs and Boarding: What Each Airport Actually Publishes
If you arrive internationally, complete the applicable arrival immigration, baggage and customs procedures before leaving for the other airport, even when your next flight is domestic. If your onward flight is international, allow time for its own departure immigration and security requirements as well. India’s airport transit-visa exemption for foreign nationals generally requires staying within the airport’s designated transit area, not clearing immigration, and having your connection handled without reclaiming and rechecking your own baggage; a landside transfer between two separate airports does not fit that description. If you need permission to enter India, confirm with official immigration guidance and your airline whether your specific documents and itinerary actually qualify for any transit exemption, rather than assuming one applies.
Each airport also publishes its own recommended arrival window for a normal departure:
| Airport | Domestic departure guidance | International departure guidance |
|---|---|---|
| NMIA (per its own Departure Guide) | Two to three hours before departure | Four hours before departure |
| CSMIA (per its own Departure Guide) | Two hours before departure | Four hours before departure |
These are general airport arrival recommendations, not airline check-in, bag-drop, or boarding-gate closing times, and not a minimum connection time between the two airports. Check the specific deadlines for your onward flight separately with your airline, and don’t import same-airport transit recommendations as a safe connection time for this route.
Getting Between the Two Airports
Road distance between CSMIA and NMIA depends on which CSMIA terminal you start from and the route taken, and we are not publishing a fixed distance or travel time here. A general airport map pin or an undated estimate isn’t reliable enough to plan a flight connection around. Ask your navigation app or transport provider to calculate the route between your actual pickup terminal and NMIA’s passenger-terminal entrance close to your actual travel time, and check whether the quoted fare includes tolls and airport charges. Several road routes are possible, including the Atal Setu sea link; do not assume every transfer will use that specific route. See our Atal Setu Toll guide for current charges, FASTag rules, and entry points if that crossing is part of your route.
For booking ground transport, put together a short checklist before you commit to a quote:
- Exact pickup terminal and meeting point
- Exact destination terminal
- Passenger and luggage capacity
- Total quote, including applicable tolls, airport charges, and waiting time
- Cancellation terms and what happens if your arriving flight is delayed
- Accessibility requirements, where relevant
NMIA’s own transport page lists app-based operators including Uber, Ola, Rapido, Alyte, Allmiles, and Aero Link, and car-rental operators including WTI Cabs and First Cars, as operators available at NMIA; we’re describing these as operators the airport lists, not using an “approved” designation the airport itself doesn’t use. CSMIA’s own transport page separately lists metered taxis, app-based cabs, car rentals, and auto rickshaws (available at both its terminals), with specific pick-up zones by terminal. Check each airport’s current transport page directly for your pickup, since listings and pick-up points can change.
A Transfer-Time Worksheet
Rather than one combined number, work through the parts of your own transfer separately:
| Planning component | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Arrival flight | Scheduled arrival date and time, airport and terminal |
| Arrival delay allowance | Your own contingency for an inbound delay |
| Leaving the first airport | Disembarkation, baggage claim, and applicable immigration/customs, plus the walk to your pickup point |
| Vehicle pickup | Your booking confirmation and an expected pickup wait |
| Road transfer | A terminal-specific route estimate checked close to your actual travel time |
| Onward airport arrival | Your target arrival time, based on that airport’s own arrival guidance above and your airline’s specific requirements |
| Onward deadlines | Check-in, bag-drop, and boarding deadlines for your specific flight and airline |
| Disruption plan | Who you’ll contact, and your alternatives, if the connection becomes impractical |
Work backwards from your onward flight’s required airport arrival time, then compare the resulting plan against your arriving flight’s schedule. A positive margin from this worksheet is a planning estimate, not a guarantee. If your transfer crosses midnight, double-check the calendar date on each leg of your plan as well.
Before You Start
- The exact terminal shown on each booking, checked against your airline’s current flight-status information
- Whether your CSMIA and NMIA flights are separate tickets or a single airline-arranged itinerary, and what your booking confirmation actually says about connection handling
- Your visa and immigration requirements for your specific nationality and route, confirmed with official guidance, if either leg is international
- A live traffic and route check close to your actual transfer time, not an estimate from this guide
Related Reading
- How to Reach Navi Mumbai Airport, for broader transport choices if you’re only travelling to or from NMIA
- NMIA Parking Guide, if you’re arranging a private pickup or driving yourself
- Auto Rickshaw and Taxi Fares in Navi Mumbai, for checking a fare or quote locally
- Atal Setu Toll Guide, for current charges and rules if your road route uses that crossing
Official Resources
- NMIA passenger guides: navimumbai.adaniairports.com
- NMIA transport: NMIA Transport page
- CSMIA passenger guides: csmia-mumbai.adaniairports.com
- CSMIA transport, including the Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 shuttle: CSMIA Transport page
- CSMIA airline and terminal information: CSMIA Airline Information page
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a shuttle between Mumbai Airport and Navi Mumbai Airport?
CSMIA’s published Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 shuttle connects terminals within Mumbai Airport itself. We have not verified a currently bookable dedicated shuttle between CSMIA and NMIA in the sources reviewed. Check current airport and operator information before relying on one.
Will my baggage transfer automatically between the airports?
Do not assume it will. Unless your airline explicitly confirms arrangements for your itinerary, plan to collect your bags, carry them during the ground transfer, and check them in again at the second airport.
How much time should I allow between the flights?
There is no single connection time established by this guide. Account for arrival delays, airport exit procedures, your vehicle pickup, the road transfer itself, and the onward flight’s own airport arrival guidance and airline deadlines.
Which terminal should I select when booking transport?
Use the airport code and terminal confirmed for your specific flight, checked against your airline’s latest flight information before travelling. Give your driver the exact arrival pickup point and departure terminal, and recheck, since terminal assignments can change.
How far apart are Mumbai Airport and Navi Mumbai Airport?
Road distance depends on the exact terminals and route used. Check a navigation service using your actual pickup and departure-terminal locations close to your travel time. Don’t use a general airport map pin or an undated distance estimate to plan a flight connection.
Sources & Verification Date
Sources checked on 29 September 2026, through direct navigation of both airports’ official sites. NMIA’s Transit Guide and Departure Guide support NMIA’s transit scope and recommended arrival windows. CSMIA’s Departure Guide supports CSMIA’s recommended arrival windows. CSMIA’s Airline Information page supports what its directory displayed at the time of checking, which can change; we’re deliberately not repeating specific airline-terminal pairings here for that reason. Each airport’s own transport page and CSMIA’s transport page support the listed transport options and, for CSMIA, the Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 shuttle details. General information on India’s airport transit-visa exemption, checked against multiple official Indian government and embassy sources, supports the immigration explanation above; it does not establish requirements for any specific nationality or itinerary. We did not test a real connecting itinerary, book transport, or verify baggage handling with any specific airline. We are not publishing a distance or transfer-time figure, since we could not reproduce our own earlier route check with a specific, dated, and verifiable terminal-to-terminal query, and are not substituting another unsourced estimate.
About This Image
Illustrative AI-generated image. This does not depict the actual Atal Setu, CSMIA, or NMIA.
