Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will temporarily suspend flight operations for six hours on November 19 to carry out its annual post-monsoon runway maintenance programme.
Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which operates the airport, said both runways — RWY 09/27 and RWY 14/32 — would remain shut from 11 am to 5 pm. Passengers travelling on the day are advised to check their flight schedules with airlines.
The planned shutdown is part of the airport’s routine maintenance exercise, aimed at preserving runway safety, ensuring reliable operations and meeting international aviation requirements. MIAL has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) in advance, allowing airlines and other stakeholders to adjust schedules and make staffing arrangements to limit inconvenience.
The work will include detailed runway inspections, surface repairs and technical assessments of lighting systems, runway markings and drainage infrastructure.
A spokesperson told HT that the annual post-monsoon maintenance is an important part of CSMIA’s year-round operational readiness programme and reinforces its ‘safety-first’ approach.
Separately, MIAL officials recently held discussions with representatives of more than 35 airlines on the proposed relocation of some international flight operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The meeting, attended by members of the Airline Operators’ Committee, lasted over 90 minutes. MIAL asked airlines to submit their transition plans by November 3. According to sources cited by PTI, the airport also assured carriers that the five million passengers per annum (mppa) of international traffic shifted temporarily would return to Mumbai airport after the expansion of Terminal 2 is completed.
Several airlines, however, requested additional time and sought to defer the relocation until the winter schedule beginning October 2027. They also called for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 to be undertaken in phases and opposed any unilateral reduction in flight slots from the summer schedule starting March 2027.
The discussions come after MIAL postponed its original October 25 transition timeline to March 2027 following objections from international carriers.
Source: Mint
