August 25, 2025: Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Terminal 1 (T1) will not be demolished immediately after the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) begins operations later this year. Airport officials have confirmed that the terminal’s closure and eventual demolition will instead be synchronised with the opening of NMIA’s second terminal, in order to safeguard passenger-handling capacity.
Arun Bansal, Chief Executive Officer of Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, said the decision reflects the need to balance operational demands with safety concerns. “We have already partly shut down T1 due to certain extension and safety issues, but we will delay the full demolition. We will time it with the start of Terminal 2 at Navi Mumbai. Temporarily, part of T1’s capacity is already unavailable because we can’t compromise on the structure’s safety. Some sections will remain closed permanently, and we will modify operations to keep the rest running,” he explained.
T1 currently accommodates around 10 million passengers annually. Officials fear that closing the facility prematurely would risk severe congestion across Mumbai’s aviation network. In recent years, the airport has struggled with overcrowding, with domestic and international traffic stretching existing infrastructure.
“If we shut down T1 before we have alternative capacity, we won’t be able to accommodate those passengers. Then we would face another four years of the same constraints we have been suffering for the past four-five years,” Mr Bansal warned.
The phased approach seeks to ensure that Mumbai retains adequate capacity as it transitions into a dual-airport city.
The first phase of NMIA, expected to be operational later this year, is designed to handle up to 20 million passengers annually. The second phase will expand capacity further, to around 50 million passengers a year. Only once this additional capacity is in place will CSMIA’s Terminal 1 be taken offline and demolished, with its functions fully absorbed by NMIA.
Industry experts note that Mumbai’s aviation requirements are growing rapidly, with both airports likely to work in tandem for the foreseeable future. By deferring demolition, authorities aim to prevent a shortfall in capacity that could disrupt connectivity and travel demand in India’s financial capital.
The eventual demolition of T1 forms part of a wider redevelopment strategy for the CSMIA site. Once cleared, the land will be used to construct modern facilities aimed at enhancing throughput, efficiency and passenger experience. However, officials cautioned that the process would not be swift.
Rebuilding will require several years of work, including new fit-outs, integration of advanced technology systems, operational testing and regulatory approvals. “This is not a short project,” Mr Bansal emphasised. “It is about building capacity for the long term and ensuring service quality throughout the transition.”
By staggering the demolition and tying it to NMIA’s expansion, airport authorities believe Mumbai will be able to maintain operational stability during one of the most significant transitions in its aviation history. The approach, they argue, will prevent service disruption for millions of travellers while paving the way for modernised infrastructure across both airports.
Source: the Indian Express
