MIAL asks airlines to submit Navi Mumbai flight shift plans by November 3

MIAL wants to shift international traffic equivalent to five million passengers annually to Navi Mumbai airport for Terminal 1 redevelopment, but airlines oppose unilateral slot cuts.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) on Wednesday requested airlines to submit plans by November 3 to shift one-third of their international flights to Navi Mumbai airport from the summer 2027 schedule, as it wants to temporarily relocate traffic equivalent to five million passengers annually from Mumbai airport, sources told Business Standard.

 

In a meeting on Wednesday between MIAL and the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) -- which represents airlines operating at Mumbai airport -- a large section of airlines, especially foreign carriers, opposed any unilateral reduction in their airport slots from the summer 2027 schedule and called for discussions on the following winter schedule to begin as soon as possible.

  

In the world of aviation, the winter schedule runs from the last Sunday of October to the last Saturday of March, while the summer schedule runs from the last Sunday of March to the last Saturday of October. Both MIAL and Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited (NMIAL) are under the control of the Adani Group.

 

During the last few months, MIAL has been asking airlines to shift 265 of 770 weekly international departures from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai so that Terminal 1 of the old airport can be demolished and reconstructed due to safety reasons. Airlines have been strongly opposing such a shift, calling it "unilateral" and asking for traffic data, capacity data and proper consultations.

 

During Wednesday's meeting, a large section of airlines said the redevelopment of Terminal 1 should be carried out in phases, similar to the earlier redevelopment of Terminal 2, and that any transition must follow the Ministry of Civil Aviation's (MoCA's) guidelines on slot allocation, sources said.

 

During Wednesday's meeting, MIAL presented its redevelopment schedule for Terminal 1 and reiterated the urgency of the work, which it said had been delayed for more than nine years. The airport operator referred to structural audit reports by Structwel in 2017 and IIT Bombay in 2024 that highlighted the need for redevelopment.

 

MIAL said IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air had finalised plans to shift international flights to Navi Mumbai between January and the summer season, accounting for around three million passengers per annum (MPPA). The airport operator said the remaining 2 MPPA of traffic should also be shifted by the summer season next year.

 

The operator told airlines that Mumbai airport's capacity was around 55 MPPA and that temporarily shifting traffic equivalent to five MPPA would leave about 91 per cent of its current capacity unaffected. MIAL said during the meeting that the combined capacity of Mumbai airport would rise to 65 MPPA after the redevelopment of T1 and the expansion of Terminal 2.

 

MIAL also said the temporary reduction in traffic at Mumbai airport had already been factored into its approved tariff order following stakeholder consultations. It assured airlines that the international traffic temporarily shifted to Navi Mumbai would be restored to Mumbai airport once the Terminal 2 expansion was completed.

 

The airport operator, during the meeting, said the phased transition would help ensure passenger safety and minimise operational disruption while supporting the development of Mumbai's two-airport system.