The Civil Aviation Ministry has asked Adani Airport Holdings to temporarily pause its plan to shift more than a third of Mumbai airport’s international departures to Navi Mumbai International Airport, following concerns from airlines about operational disruption and commercial losses.
The request was made at a stakeholder meeting in Delhi on October 6, attended by airline operations heads, Adani Airport Holdings, the Airports Authority of India, the Federation of Indian Airlines and domestic airline operators, according to a report by Moneycontrol. The ministry has proposed a fresh roadmap for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai airport, which is at the centre of the dispute.
A further consultation involving airlines and the airport operator will be convened with the Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation, on October 13. Another meeting is scheduled for October 20 to discuss the final transition plan. The consultations will focus on the proposed temporary movement of five million international passengers from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai.
Adani Airport Holdings had asked airlines to move 265 of the 770 weekly international departure slots currently operating from Terminal 2 at Mumbai airport. The shift was intended to allow the operator to move five million domestic passengers from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 while redevelopment work was undertaken at Terminal 1. Mumbai International Airport had informed airlines that some Terminal 2 slots would be temporarily discontinued from October 25 to support the proposed transition.
Airlines have said they support the redevelopment of Terminal 1 but opposed using the project to justify a reduction in Terminal 2 operations. The proposed change came shortly before the winter aviation schedule, which runs from October to March, when airlines had already finalised itineraries, opened ticket sales and accepted passenger bookings. They warned that sudden flight relocations or slot cancellations could lead to rebooking problems, refunds and wider operational disruption.
The proposed arrangement also raises logistical concerns for carriers that depend on hub-and-spoke operations. Splitting international flights between two airports around 35 to 40 kilometres apart could make domestic-to-international and international-to-international transfers more difficult, while requiring airlines to duplicate ground staff, engineering teams, spare-part inventories and crew logistics, analysts cited by Moneycontrol said.
Adani Airport Holdings said in a media release that discussions with airline operators during the meeting were constructive and that all stakeholders remained committed to a coordinated transition focused on passenger convenience and operational efficiency. The company said Navi Mumbai airport had the required connectivity, catering facilities, hotels, lounges and other supporting services.
The operator has described the proposed shift as temporary. It said the redevelopment would raise Terminal 1’s annual capacity from 15 million passengers to 20 million passengers, after which the temporarily shifted traffic would return to Mumbai airport while additional capacity would be created for future growth. Navi Mumbai International Airport has also proposed reducing landing fees and compensating for the difference in user development fees between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai airports for affected passengers. The revised transition plan will be discussed at the October 13 and October 20 meetings.
