The planned transfer of 265 weekly international departures from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport has faced fresh resistance from airlines, which are seeking structural safety audits, capacity data and details of alternatives considered by the airport operator before agreeing to the move.
The Airline Operators Committee (AOC), representing airlines operating from Mumbai, has asked Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) to add six issues to the agenda of a stakeholder meeting scheduled for October 13. The committee’s demands include the consultant reports cited by MIAL on safety concerns at Terminal 1, a detailed presentation on the redevelopment plan, and an update on the expansion of Terminal 2.
The airlines have also sought month-by-month data for 2026 showing actual capacity use at both terminals against their declared capacity. They want MIAL to explain whether existing infrastructure can be used more efficiently during the redevelopment period and whether the proposed reduction in international departures is necessary.
MIAL had asked airlines to shift selected international flights to NMIA, located about 50 km from Mumbai airport, or temporarily discontinue them from October 25. The plan involved cutting 265 international departures from Terminal 2’s 770 weekly departures across 46 airlines. The airport operator said the arrangement was required to accommodate domestic traffic displaced by the partial rebuilding of Terminal 1.
The redevelopment plan involves demolishing and rebuilding the northern section of Terminal 1B. MIAL had planned to begin the work in January 2027. The operator has maintained that flight timings could be restored after the redevelopment adds capacity, but airlines have questioned the need to move roughly a third of Terminal 2’s international departures to Navi Mumbai during the transition.
The AOC has asked MIAL to disclose the independent consultants’ assessments that underpin its concerns about Terminal 1’s structural safety. It has also sought the current status, scope and timeline of the Terminal 2 expansion, which was expected to add approximately five million passengers a year to the terminal’s capacity.
Another issue raised by the airlines is whether MIAL assessed a temporary passenger-processing facility for domestic traffic that would be shifted to Terminal 2 while Terminal 1 is rebuilt. The committee has also requested a formal review of compliance with the civil aviation ministry’s slot-allocation guidelines if the airport’s operating capacity is reduced.
The civil aviation ministry has already deferred MIAL’s proposed October 25 transition and directed the airport operator to work with airlines on a revised plan. The ministry’s intervention means the proposed transfer is currently on hold pending consultations.
Monday’s meeting is expected to address the safety assessments, available capacity at both terminals and the operational rationale for shifting flights to NMIA. The outcome will determine how Mumbai’s two-airport system manages traffic during the planned Terminal 1 redevelopment.
