Akasa Air will shift its Noida–Mumbai flight operations from Mumbai Airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport from October 1, with the move linked to redevelopment work at Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 1. The change will affect passengers travelling between Noida, western Uttar Pradesh and the expanding industrial belt around Navi Mumbai.
According to a report by Loksatta – Mumbai, Akasa Air had earlier moved the route from Navi Mumbai Airport to Mumbai Airport because of infrastructure constraints, the absence of direct metro connectivity and limited passenger numbers. The airline had launched the direct service to connect western Uttar Pradesh with Navi Mumbai’s industrial and commercial areas.
The service faced passenger-access difficulties because neither airport has a direct metro or rapid rail connection to the other. Travellers have also had to contend with high taxi fares and longer road journeys. Although both airports have modern terminal facilities, the road connections between the two locations remain inadequate, the report said.
The airline had therefore discontinued the direct Noida–Navi Mumbai service a few months ago and begun operating the route through Mumbai Airport. The latest shift will take place ahead of the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai Airport, work on which is scheduled to begin from January 15, 2027.
The report said 30% of Akasa Air’s flights would be diverted to Navi Mumbai Airport from October 1. The airline has also stopped bookings for the Noida–Mumbai flight scheduled at 2.01 pm, with the service ending from September 30. Another flight operating at 9.05 pm was discontinued two days earlier.
With those changes, passengers travelling from Noida to Mumbai will have fewer direct flight options. The report said they would primarily have to rely on IndiGo’s 3 pm service for the route.
Akasa Air’s revised schedule will include a morning departure from Noida at 11 am, with the aircraft scheduled to arrive at Navi Mumbai Airport at 1.15 pm. The change places the route once again at Navi Mumbai Airport, even as the airport’s access links and integration with the wider Mumbai region remain important factors for passengers.
The schedule change also highlights the operational effects of airport redevelopment on airline networks. For passengers, the practical difference will depend not only on flight timings but also on the time and cost required to reach Navi Mumbai Airport from Mumbai and surrounding areas. The revised operations are scheduled to begin on October 1.
