Twelve international airlines may shift from Mumbai’s CSMIA to the new Navi Mumbai airport by March 2027. This move supports the redevelopment of Terminal 1, aimed at increasing passenger capacity from 15 to 20 million per year.
Mumbai Airport Slot Allocation and Airline Shifts
Twelve international airlines operating from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) have not been allocated slots for the Summer 2027 schedule, with their around 16 daily departures to 14 destinations potentially shifting to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), sources said.
Following consultations with international airlines, CSMIA has allocated slots to 38 of the 50 international airlines for the Summer 2027 schedule. The 12 airlines may operate their affected services from NMIA from the end of March 2027, sources said.
Strategic Capacity Management
The arrangement is expected to keep around 91 per cent of CSMIA’s existing traffic capacity unaffected and facilitate the movement of approximately five million passengers annually from CSMIA to NMIA.
Domestic carriers, including IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air, had already announced plans to shift flights serving 14 destinations to NMIA last week.
Terminal Redevelopment Plans
The transition will facilitate the phased redevelopment of CSMIA’s Terminal 1 (T1), which is expected to increase its annual passenger-handling capacity from the existing 15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 20 MPPA.
Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with the new terminal targeted to become operational by March 2029. Demolition of the existing terminal is scheduled to begin in April 2027.
Structural Integrity and Operational Continuity
Commissioned in 1964, T1 has been flagged for structural concerns in audits conducted by Structwel in 2017 and IIT Bombay in 2024.
CSMIA has assured airlines that their historical slot allocations will be respected and remain undisturbed during the temporary transition, sources said. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)