Mumbai airport flights are set to face a temporary reduction of 265 weekly international services from October 25, when the winter schedule begins, because of the redevelopment of Terminal 1. The change will affect Indian and foreign airlines and has drawn opposition from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and international carriers.
Mumbai International Airport Limited, which operates the airport under the Adani Airports group, has asked 46 airlines to reduce their international departure slots by 33% from 11.59 pm on October 24. These airlines currently schedule a combined 770 international flights every week from Terminal 2, which handles Mumbai’s international operations.
The planned reduction follows the temporary closure of Terminal 1 for redevelopment. Terminal 1 is currently used for domestic flights, while international services operate from Terminal 2. With domestic airlines expected to use slots at Terminal 2 during the redevelopment, the available capacity for international departures will be reduced.
According to the report, IndiGo will have to cut 74 weekly international flights from Mumbai, while Air India will reduce 33. Akasa Air, Air India Express and SpiceJet will reduce seven, five and five international flights respectively. Etihad Airways and Emirates will each lose 10 weekly services. Both carriers currently operate 28 international flights a week from Mumbai airport.
The report said 265 international flights would be operated from Navi Mumbai airport as the changes take effect. The shift comes as the Navi Mumbai airport is expected to play a larger role in handling air traffic from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The supplied report does not specify the individual routes, revised schedules or passenger arrangements for each affected service.
IATA and international airlines have opposed the reduction. The report also cited Aaditya Thackeray as criticising the move, saying that shifting Mumbai airport traffic for the Terminal 1 redevelopment would weaken the city’s links with the world for business and travel. His comments were reported in the context of the proposed changes and were not accompanied in the supplied material by a separate statement from the airport operator.
Mumbai airport is among India’s busiest airports and serves a dense metropolitan region with major business, tourism and international travel demand. The immediate operational effect will depend on how airlines revise their schedules and coordinate services between the two airports. The reported slot changes are scheduled to begin with the winter timetable on October 25.
