Mumbai Airport Shake-up: 12 Global Airlines May Move to Navi Mumbai
Twelve international airlines may move 16 daily flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport as CSMIA prepares for Terminal 1 redevelopment.
The aviation landscape in Maharashtra is bracing for a major transition as 12 international airlines have not been allocated slots at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) for the Summer 2027 schedule. This move suggests that roughly 16 daily departures serving 14 different global destinations could shift their operations to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The Slot Allocation Breakdown
Following a series of consultations with global carriers, CSMIA has managed to allocate slots to 38 out of the 50 international airlines for the Summer 2027 period. The remaining 12 airlines, who missed out on these allocations, are expected to begin operating their affected services from the Navi Mumbai facility starting from the end of March 2027.
Despite this shift, the impact on overall traffic is expected to be managed. Sources indicate that approximately 91 per cent of CSMIA's current traffic capacity will remain unaffected. However, the transition is projected to move about five million passengers annually from the main city airport to the new Navi Mumbai hub.
A Broader Shift to Navi Mumbai
The move by international carriers follows a similar trend among domestic airlines. Just last week, major players including Air India, IndiGo, and Akasa Air announced their intentions to move flights serving 14 destinations to the Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The Driving Force: Terminal 1 Redevelopment
This strategic migration of flights is not random; it is designed to facilitate the phased redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1 (T1). The goal is to boost the terminal's annual passenger-handling capacity from the current 15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 20 MPPA.
The Timeline for T1 Transformation:
- January 2027: Construction on the new terminal is scheduled to begin.
- April 2027: Demolition of the existing terminal structure will commence.
- March 2029: The new, expanded terminal is targeted to become fully operational.
Safety Concerns and Structural Audits
The decision to demolish and rebuild T1 stems from critical structural concerns. Originally commissioned back in 1964, the terminal has been under scrutiny for years. Structural audits conducted by Structwel in 2017 and more recently by IIT Bombay in 2024 flagged significant issues that necessitated the overhaul.
To ease the transition for the affected carriers, CSMIA has provided assurances that historical slot allocations will be respected and will remain undisturbed during this temporary shift in operations.