The Navi Mumbai airport shift remains incomplete, with Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines and Emirates yet to commit to moving international services from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), even as the demolition of CSMIA’s Terminal 1 is scheduled to begin in April 2027.
Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), which operates both airports, is seeking commitments from international carriers before the redevelopment of Terminal 1 in Santacruz. AAHL CEO Arun Bansal said discussions were nearing completion and that the operator expected to finalise arrangements with most airlines over the next month.
“Certain airlines operating from T2, Mumbai will have to make a choice because the demolition of T1 will begin in the summer of 2027. Either they move to NMIA or temporarily stop flying to Mumbai. I am talking about international airlines,” Bansal said during an earnings call on October 28.
Bansal added that one or two airlines could decide not to operate from Navi Mumbai for a couple of years, but said this would have almost no impact on the overall passenger count. The proposed transition is intended to move part of Mumbai’s international traffic to Navi Mumbai while domestic services displaced by the Terminal 1 redevelopment are accommodated at CSMIA’s Terminal 2.
Lufthansa Group said its Lufthansa and SWISS services from Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich would continue from CSMIA during the 2026-27 winter schedule. “The necessary slots have been approved,” a spokesperson said. The group is in dialogue with the Indian government and airport authorities, along with the International Air Transport Association, on further planning at Mumbai airport.
Singapore Airlines said it was aware of Mumbai International Airport Ltd’s proposed redevelopment plans but did not announce a change to its operations. “Singapore Airlines (SIA) will announce updates to its Mumbai operations, if any, at the appropriate time,” a spokesperson said.
Emirates has raised more direct concerns about Navi Mumbai International Airport’s supporting infrastructure. Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, the airline’s senior vice-president for commercial operations for West Asia and the Indian Ocean, said in Delhi on October 14 that the airport would need a complete ecosystem, including catering facilities and cargo warehousing, before international carriers could shift operations.
Domestic airlines have made firmer commitments. IndiGo plans to progressively transfer 12 daily international departures from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai between February and July 2027, including a planned Kathmandu service. Air India Express is scheduled to begin four daily domestic flights from Navi Mumbai in December 2026, followed by international services to Oman and Kuwait from January 2027, subject to regulatory approval for Kuwait.
Bansal said IndiGo, Air India Express and Akasa Air had agreed to move 18 international flights, adding about three million passengers a year of capacity at Navi Mumbai. MIAL has proposed shifting five million passengers annually, including international traffic, during the redevelopment and asked airlines to submit transition plans by November 3 for the Northern Summer 2027 schedule.
The transition plan has faced resistance over consultation, slot allocation and the operational implications of shifting services between two airports serving the same metropolitan region. The Ministry of Civil Aviation earlier this month asked MIAL to defer its original plan and work with airlines on an agreed roadmap. MIAL has said international traffic shifted temporarily to Navi Mumbai would be restored to CSMIA after the redevelopment.
AAHL expects Navi Mumbai International Airport to reach its Phase 1 capacity of 20 million passengers annually by the end of FY28, comprising 15 million domestic and five million international passengers. The replacement terminal at CSMIA’s Terminal 1 is expected to be completed by December 2030, while construction of Navi Mumbai’s Terminal 2 is scheduled to begin in November. Airline transition plans for the 2027 summer schedule remain the next major milestone.
