Mumbai airport postpones international flight shift to Navi Mumbai, keeps winter slots

Shift deferred to summer

Adani Airports Holdings Ltd decided to defer the partial shifting of international flights from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai until the summer schedule that commences in March 2027.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd confirmed that no international flights will be shifted before the end of the winter season in March next year.

The planned shift, affecting 46 airlines, has been pushed back by five months to the summer schedule.

Winter slots retained

Airlines operating from Mumbai will keep their winter slots intact while the proposed shift is postponed.

Proposed slot cut and airline response

Airlines were asked to cut 33 per cent of their international flights or shift them to Navi Mumbai by October 25, the start of the winter schedule.

Mumbai International Airport had proposed a 33 per cent cut in international departure slots to make room at Terminal 2 for about 5 million passengers moving from Terminal 1.

The Airline Operators Committee said in an October 2 letter that the proposal was not accepted.

A joint working group will work over the next two weeks to develop an implementation plan, with final contours to be decided at a meeting chaired by the civil aviation secretary on October 20, and the two sides will meet again on October 28.

Emirates stays at Mumbai

Emirates will continue operating from Mumbai International Airport during the winter schedule.

Emirates senior vice‑president Essa Sulaiman Ahmad said Navi Mumbai airport is not ready for a shift because it lacks catering and cargo warehousing facilities.

Emirates operates 167 weekly flights across nine Indian cities, including 28 each from Delhi and Mumbai.