India, April 15 -- Daniel Pinto (name changed), a commercial pilot living in Mumbai's western suburbs, recently booked a luxury villa near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) for around Rs.4 crore.

With property prices near Mumbai's existing airport sky-high, Pinto believes now is the ideal time to invest-before the first flight takes off from NMIA and prices surge.

With the airport's inaugural flight expected in the coming months, pilots and aviation professionals' interest in nearby plots and luxury villas has noticeably increased.

Local real estate developers and consultants report a growing number of pilots-especially those nearing retirement-seeking long-term investments in the area.

According to developers, the...