Navi Mumbai International Airport is not yet equipped to accommodate international flights adequately, with essential facilities such as catering services and cargo warehouses still missing, according to Emirates Airline executive Essa Sulaiman Ahmad.
Ahmad, senior vice-president for commercial operations covering West Asia and the Indian Ocean, said airlines would struggle to relocate services until the airport developed a complete operational ecosystem.
“The airport is not ready.”
He added, “At an airport, you will require a facility for catering. You will require a facility, for example, for cargo warehousing. You will require those elements. Until it gets fully built into an ecosystem, I think it’s going to be difficult for any of the airlines to shift there,” he said.
The remarks follow a proposal by Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), controlled by the Adani Group, asking airlines to transfer 265 of their 770 weekly international departures to Navi Mumbai by October 25. The move was linked to the planned redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai airport. Airlines opposed the proposal, prompting the issue to reach the Ministry of Civil Aviation. MIAL subsequently assured carriers that international services would remain at Mumbai airport until at least the end of March.
Ahmad said Emirates could consider operating from emerging airports, including Navi Mumbai and Noida, if India and the United Arab Emirates expanded their bilateral flight and seat entitlements. He noted that the airline was already using its permitted capacity and that Navi Mumbai could provide access to passengers from areas closer to Pune.
The existing agreement allows approximately 67,000 seats weekly in each direction between Dubai and India. Any increase would require approval from both governments.
Separately, Emirates plans to deploy its A380 aircraft on the Delhi–Dubai route from October 26, while continuing four daily services to Delhi. Three flights will use upgraded Boeing 777 aircraft offering first-class, business-class, premium-economy and economy cabins.
Ahmad said Emirates’ Indian passenger loads, initially affected by the West Asia conflict, were recovering towards pre-conflict levels. Globally, the airline has restored 96 per cent of its pre-conflict network capacity, with passenger traffic reaching approximately 93 per cent of earlier levels.
Cirium data shows Emirates operates 167 weekly flights from nine Indian cities to Dubai, with Mumbai accounting for 35.
Source: Business Standard
