The Civil Aviation Ministry has asked Adani Airport Holdings to temporarily defer its proposed transfer of international flight operations from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), following concerns raised by airlines over the transition timeline.
The airport operator had asked carriers to move 265 weekly international departure slots from Mumbai, equivalent to around 33% of Terminal 2’s international operations, or withdraw the slots by October 25.
The issue was discussed during a 90-minute meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha on October 6. Representatives from Adani Airport Holdings, airlines, the International Air Transport Association and the Airports Authority of India participated in the meeting.
Airlines raised concerns about making the switch during the winter schedule, which has already been finalised with aircraft assignments, crew planning and passenger bookings in place. Carriers also pointed out that operating international services from two airports located around 35-40 km apart could make passenger connections more complicated and increase operational expenses.
The proposed redistribution of flights is connected to the planned redevelopment of Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1. The redevelopment is expected to affect around five million passengers, with Adani maintaining that the project cannot be postponed further because of the terminal’s age and existing operational constraints.
Terminal 1, which is more than six decades old, is scheduled to undergo extensive redevelopment from January 2027. The work is intended to address safety requirements as well as capacity limitations.
Following the meeting, the ministry has instructed Adani and the airlines to prepare and submit a detailed transition plan by October 20. Another consultation has been scheduled for October 13 to discuss the proposed roadmap and work towards a mutually workable arrangement.
Meanwhile, Adani has highlighted NMIA’s preparedness to accommodate additional international traffic. The airport has an annual capacity of five million international passengers and features an 80-room transit hotel.
The operator has also proposed reduced landing charges at Navi Mumbai, although any such changes remain subject to approval from the Civil Aviation Ministry.
The latest intervention gives airlines additional time to prepare for any eventual redistribution of international operations while authorities work towards a transition plan that addresses both airport redevelopment requirements and carrier concerns.
Source: Swarajya
