Airlines need to cut 265 weekly international flights connecting Mumbai airport from October 25

Foreign and Indian airlines will have to temporarily discontinue a combined 265 weekly international flights from Mumbai airport from October 25 as its operator prepares to shift domestic traffic from Terminal 1 ahead of the terminal’s redevelopment, according to sources.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), part of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, has communicated to 46 airlines that international departure slots will be reduced by 33 per cent from 11.59 pm on October 25, coinciding with the beginning of the winter flight schedule. The move is intended to free capacity at Terminal 2 for domestic airlines that currently operate from T1.

265 flights affected

At present, 46 airlines operate around 770 international flights every week from T2. Under the proposed arrangement, 265 weekly overseas services will have to be temporarily discontinued, significantly reducing international capacity at one of India’s busiest airports.

Although international operations are based at T2 and T1 handles domestic services, the two are linked by the airport’s overall capacity constraints. With T1 scheduled to undergo redevelopment, domestic operations handled there will have to be accommodated elsewhere, requiring MIAL to free slots and infrastructure at T2.

The redevelopment of T1 is scheduled to begin in January 2027. Ahead of the closure, the airport operator plans to progressively reorganise operations so that domestic traffic can be transferred without overwhelming T2.

IndiGo faces biggest cut

IndiGo is expected to face the largest reduction among Indian airlines, with 74 weekly international flights affected. The carrier currently operates 224 weekly overseas services from Mumbai.

Air India, which operates around 100 weekly international flights from the airport, has been asked to reduce 33 services. Akasa Air faces a reduction of 11 weekly flights, while Air India Express and SpiceJet will have to cut seven and five services, respectively.

International airlines will also be affected. Etihad Airways and Emirates are expected to reduce 10 weekly flights each from their existing 28 weekly services from Mumbai.

A response from MIAL on the proposed reductions is awaited.

Domestic traffic to shift

The international slots released at T2 will be used to accommodate domestic operations displaced by the redevelopment of T1. MIAL is expected to begin reallocating airport infrastructure, including check-in counters, baggage belts and boarding gates, to domestic carriers.

Around five million domestic passengers annually are expected to be transitioned from T1 to T2 as part of the exercise. Managing that volume within the existing terminal will require not only additional departure and arrival slots but also sufficient check-in, baggage-handling and boarding capacity.

The transition represents a significant operational exercise for airlines and the airport operator, particularly because Mumbai airport already operates under considerable capacity constraints.

Airlines raise concerns

Discussions have also taken place over whether some international operations could be transferred to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport. Airlines, however, have raised concerns over splitting their Mumbai operations between two airports and over how any relocation would affect existing slots and commercial arrangements.

In an October 1 communication, MIAL said it had convened a meeting with airlines on September 16 to discuss the transition. According to the airport operator, a number of carriers did not participate and airlines were subsequently asked to submit their proposed transition plans by September 25.

“Several airlines are yet to provide the requested information despite the opportunity afforded for engagement and collaborative planning,” MIAL said in the communication.

Air France-KLM opposes split

Air France-KLM has publicly opposed the prospect of dividing its Mumbai operations between the existing airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport. The airline group said on September 30 that such an arrangement was not an option for it and “does not make sense”.

The position illustrates one of the major challenges facing the transition. Airlines generally prefer to concentrate their operations at a single airport because splitting flights can complicate passenger connections, crew deployment, aircraft operations, ground handling and other commercial arrangements.

The opening of Navi Mumbai airport is expected to eventually ease capacity pressure across the Mumbai metropolitan region, but airlines have argued that the transition should be commercially viable and undertaken through consultation.

IATA seeks government intervention

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents more than 370 airlines worldwide, approached the Civil Aviation Ministry on September 9 seeking its intervention in the matter.

IATA called for a transition framework agreed upon by stakeholders, backed by an appropriate implementation timeline and regulatory oversight. It stressed that the process should prioritise safety and passenger facilitation while remaining commercially workable for airlines.

The global airline body also said temporary infrastructure arrangements should not prejudice airlines’ established historic slot entitlements at Mumbai airport.

IATA said the airline industry remained supportive of Navi Mumbai International Airport and the long-term development of a dual-airport system for Mumbai. It argued, however, that the allocation of operations between the two airports should be driven by market forces and airline choice rather than mandatory relocations.

With the October 25 deadline approaching, airlines now face the task of restructuring schedules while MIAL prepares for one of the biggest operational transitions at Mumbai airport in recent years.