The standoff over shifting international flights from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has deepened, with airport operator Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) maintaining that capacity at CSMIA must be reduced by five million passengers a year from March 2027.
In its latest communication to airlines, AAHL said individual carriers would have full discretion over how they respond to the proposed transition. Airlines could voluntarily move a portion of their weekly international flights to NMIA, temporarily suspend operations at the terminal until the redevelopment of CSMIA’s Terminal 1 is completed, or consider other alternatives, the airport operator said.
AAHL nevertheless reiterated that capacity equivalent to around five million passengers per annum would need to be restricted to accommodate the summer schedule for 2027. The position has been opposed by the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), which represents airlines and has resisted the airport operator’s demand to finalise a traffic transition plan before the next stakeholder meeting on October 28.
Airlines have said they would not agree to transfer international operations to NMIA or cancel slots allocated to them at CSMIA. In an email to airport authorities, the AOC also said that individual consultations or participation in discussions should not be treated as collective acceptance or consent on behalf of other airlines.
The committee has questioned the basis for the proposed slot reductions and sought capacity assessments, operational data and an evidence-based justification for moving traffic between the two airports. It has also urged airport authorities to follow the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s 2013 slot-allocation guidelines and the International Air Transport Association’s Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines.
The dispute follows a proposal by Mumbai airport authorities to reduce weekly international flights at CSMIA by 33 per cent. The reduction was intended to accommodate displaced traffic during the partial redevelopment of Terminal 1, which was initially scheduled to begin in January 2027. The proposal was deferred after the Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened.
Following a stakeholder meeting on October 13, attended by AAHL leadership including Jeet Adani and Arun Bansal, the proposed transition was pushed back to March 2027. Airport leadership had indicated that the redevelopment and traffic transition would be pursued collaboratively, but airlines continue to seek clarity on the redevelopment timeline, terminal-wise capacity and alternatives to the proposed reallocation plan.
The absence of these details remains the central point of contention. The October 28 meeting is expected to provide the next formal opportunity for AAHL, airlines and other stakeholders to discuss the capacity restrictions, international flight allocation and the operational arrangements linked to the Terminal 1 redevelopment.
