Mumbai airport operator MIAL has reportedly proposed moving flights serving 14 international destinations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport next summer, a move that could reorganise overseas connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The proposal is intended to create room at Mumbai airport while Terminal 1 is demolished and domestic flights are accommodated at Terminal 2.
According to a report by Times of India – Mumbai, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) conveyed the plan to the civil aviation ministry in a letter. The destinations named in the proposal are Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah.
The reported plan would apply to flights operated by both Indian and foreign airlines. MIAL has indicated that, if foreign carriers do not agree to move some services to Navi Mumbai or cancel them, it could shift all flights between Mumbai and the 14 destinations to Navi Mumbai International Airport. The civil aviation ministry is expected to consider the proposal before taking a decision.
The airport operator’s reported request is linked to the planned demolition of Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1. MIAL wants to reduce international flights at Terminal 2 by about one-third so that domestic services displaced by the demolition can be accommodated there. Airlines were reportedly asked to indicate which Mumbai airport slots they would temporarily vacate for the next summer schedule beginning at the end of March.
The proposed arrangement would make Navi Mumbai the principal airport for the listed international destinations across the region, according to sources cited in the report. The change could affect passengers travelling to Gulf cities, South Asian destinations and Southeast Asian markets, although the supplied report does not establish the final schedule, airline-wise allocation, passenger facilities or ground-transport arrangements at Navi Mumbai.
The report also states that Air India Group and IndiGo had announced plans to progressively move 38 daily international flights from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai between December and July. These reported moves would form part of the wider transition of services between the two airports, but the precise implementation schedule and the status of individual routes remain subject to confirmation.
Aviation secretary Samir Sinha is reported to be examining the matter. Sources quoted by the newspaper said that any decision would prioritise passenger interest. The supplied report contains a date inconsistency, however: it is dated November 5, 2026 while referring to announcements allegedly made on November 25. MIAL’s letter, the airline schedules and the ministry’s decision therefore require verification before the reported 14-route shift can be treated as confirmed.
