Adani Airports has postponed by at least five months its plan to shift approximately one-third of international flights from Mumbai's existing airport to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport following resistance from airlines over proposed changes to international departure slots.
The delay represents a setback to the airport operator's efforts to redistribute international traffic between the two facilities and ease pressure on Mumbai's existing aviation infrastructure. Airlines have objected to changes in departure timings associated with the proposed transfer, complicating efforts to implement the transition.
The new airport, located approximately 50 kilometres from Mumbai's existing airport, is intended to provide additional aviation capacity for the Mumbai metropolitan region. However, the proposed redistribution of international services has encountered operational resistance from carriers concerned about the implications for their flight schedules.
๐ฆ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ณ
Following discussions with airline representatives on Tuesday, the airport operator decided to retain existing international departure slot allocations throughout the winter aviation schedule, which begins on October 25 and continues until the end of March 2027. Any substantial changes to international operations will now be considered for the summer schedule.
The original proposal involved withdrawing 265 of the approximately 770 weekly international departure slots at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport's Terminal 2. The reduction would have affected 46 domestic and foreign airlines, which were expected either to relocate services to Navi Mumbai or discontinue some flights temporarily.
The postponement follows intervention by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, which had asked the airport operator to consult airlines and develop a mutually acceptable transition plan before implementing the proposed changes.
Reuters+2
๐ง๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ญ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ป
The proposed flight redistribution is linked to the redevelopment of Mumbai airport's ageing Terminal 1, where work on the northern section of Terminal 1B is scheduled to begin in January 2027. The section handles approximately five million passengers annually and requires extensive reconstruction as part of a broader modernisation programme.
The airport operator had planned to accommodate domestic flights displaced by the redevelopment at Terminal 2, which primarily handles international operations. To create the necessary capacity, it proposed reducing international departure slots and encouraging airlines to move some services to Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Adani Airports has maintained that redevelopment is necessary to address infrastructure and safety concerns and improve the airport's long-term capacity. The rebuilt Terminal 1 is expected to increase annual passenger-handling capacity from approximately 15 million to 20 million, with completion targeted for 2029-30.
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
Airlines strongly opposed the proposed reductions, arguing that the operator had not provided sufficient time or information to justify changes to their established international schedules. Carriers pointed out that winter flight schedules had already been finalised, with aircraft deployment, crew arrangements and passenger bookings planned around existing departure slots.
The International Air Transport Association also raised objections to compulsory relocation, urging that changes follow established slot-allocation guidelines and that airlines retain their historical operating rights.
Airlines sought access to structural safety reports, terminal capacity assessments, redevelopment plans and details of alternative arrangements before agreeing to surrender or relocate flights.
Carriers also expressed concerns about higher operating costs, passenger inconvenience, connecting-flight arrangements and the logistical challenges of splitting operations between two airports serving the same metropolitan region.
The Indian Express+2
๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ด๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ
Under the earlier proposal, Indian airlines accounted for 125 of the 265 weekly international departures identified for reduction, while foreign carriers accounted for the remaining 140.
Among domestic operators, IndiGo faced the largest proposed reduction, involving 74 weekly departures. Air India would have lost 33 slots, Akasa Air 11 and Air India Express seven. Several international airlines also faced potential reductions to their Mumbai operations.
The proposed changes raised concerns because departure slots at major international airports are commercially valuable and difficult to replace. Airlines rely on established timings to maintain connecting services, aircraft utilisation and passenger demand.
The airport operator had initially asked carriers to identify the flights they were prepared to withdraw or relocate. Airlines objected to the possibility of slots being selected for reduction without their agreement.
๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐
The Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened earlier this month after airlines and industry associations raised concerns about the proposed October 25 deadline. At a meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Sinha, the ministry directed Adani Airports to undertake further consultations and prepare a revised transition plan.
The government also sought a fresh roadmap for the redevelopment of Terminal 1, including regulatory approvals and measures to minimise disruption to airline operations and passengers.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and other relevant authorities are expected to play a role in assessing operational arrangements associated with the redevelopment and any subsequent flight redistribution.
The decision to defer the proposed slot reductions gives airlines additional time to evaluate alternatives while allowing the airport operator to continue discussions on how domestic and international traffic should be managed during construction.
๐ช๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ณ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ
For international passengers travelling through Mumbai during the upcoming winter season, the immediate decision means the proposed one-third reduction in departure slots will not take effect on October 25.
However, the broader plan to redistribute flights between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai has not been abandoned. The airport operator is expected to continue consultations with carriers over arrangements for the next aviation scheduling season.
The dispute has highlighted the challenges involved in developing a dual-airport system for India's financial capital, particularly when established airlines must balance operational efficiency, passenger connectivity and commercial considerations against infrastructure expansion.
With the proposed changes now deferred until at least March 2027, the focus will shift to developing a transition plan that accommodates Terminal 1's redevelopment without imposing abrupt changes on international flight operations.