New Airport, No Network: Taxi Troubles Begin
TLDR: Navi Mumbai's shiny new airport has a major connectivity problem: zero mobile network. Landing passengers are finding it impossible to book cabs, because apparently, Airtel forgot we live in 2024.
Touchdown in Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA)? Hope you practiced your mime skills. Passengers arriving at the ₹16,000-crore airport are discovering a surprising feature: a complete dead zone for mobile networks. Specifically, summoning a cab is proving harder than finding a parking spot at Nerul station on a Sunday.
The problem? Zero bars. Passengers are stranded, unable to book Ola or Uber because the airport's cellular infrastructure is MIA. Some are forced to rely on the kindness of strangers (or overpriced airport taxis) to escape the arrival lounge.
"It's insane," said a passenger arriving from Delhi. "Such a fancy airport and I can't even get a signal to book a cab? I had to walk half a kilometer to get a ride."
The lack of connectivity isn't just an inconvenience; it's a safety issue, especially for women traveling alone. Airport authorities and Reliance Jio (who apparently has some connectivity) haven't commented on the issue. Maybe they're too busy enjoying their functioning mobile data?