Mumbai Airport and Airlines Prepare Traffic Shift to Navi Mumbai Airport
Mumbai International Airport Ltd and commercial carriers are coordinating operational plans to shift international passenger traffic equivalent to 5 million travelers annually from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport. Senior representatives from more than 35 air carriers convened with airport management on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, to review the phased reallocation of flight operations ahead of the summer 2027 flight timetable. Operator MIAL requested air carriers to submit finalized relocation proposals by November 3.
In discussions with the airline committee, airport authorities stated that IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa Air had agreed to transfer flights accounting for roughly 3 million overseas travelers to the greenfield hub. Furthermore, Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo indicated that they would progressively shift international flights to the new airport starting from December. The operational redistribution aims to relieve terminal congestion and create airspace capacity required to demolish and reconstruct Terminal 1 at the existing Santacruz site.
Akasa Air announced it will make a phased transition of the carrier's Mumbai-Jeddah services to Navi Mumbai International Airport starting from December, according to Fortune India.
Demolition of T1 is scheduled to begin in April 2027, with completion targeted for December 2030, according to Hindustan Times.
Terminal Modernization and Capacity Projections
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport currently processes approximately 55 million passengers annually across its existing infrastructure. Management indicated that the temporary flight relocation would leave approximately 91% of current passenger traffic undisturbed at the existing facility, while subsequent redevelopment of Terminals 1 and 2 is expected to raise overall airport capacity to 65 million passengers a year. In its initial operating phase, Navi Mumbai International Airport is designed to handle 20 million passengers annually, with subsequent expansion planned to increase capacity to 90 million passengers per year.
The proposed relocation is part of MIAL's plan to redevelop the ageing Terminal 1 at Mumbai airport, which was commissioned in 1964, according to Hindustan Times.
Facility managers highlighted past safety reviews performed by Structwel and engineering assessments from IIT Bombay indicating that structural upgrades at Terminal 1 cannot be postponed. MIAL has assured airlines that overseas operations transferred during construction will return to the primary airport after Terminal 2 expansion work is finalized. At the Wednesday briefing, airport management presented a detailed redevelopment schedule for Terminal 1, while commercial carriers maintained that reconstruction should proceed in phases.
Airline Negotiations and Transition Timelines
The consultative discussions followed a review meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha to evaluate transition arrangements. Earlier, facility operator AAHL had proposed that carriers reduce 33 per cent of their international flights or shift them to the Navi Mumbai site by late October. Commercial carriers resisted abrupt schedules, with several airlines seeking time until the next winter schedule in October 2027 to decide on relocating international services.