Desk note · industry · Aviation / Mumbai airports
Adani Airports wanted to cut hundreds of weekly international flights to free Terminal 2 for a Terminal 1 rebuild. Airlines pushed back on winter schedules. The ministry paused the plan.
Mumbai’s old Terminal 1 needs a phased rebuild from January 2027. It handles domestic traffic. While work is under way, roughly five million passengers a year need another place to check in. Mumbai International Airport (MIAL), run by Adani Airports, proposed cutting 265 of 770 weekly international departures from Terminal 2 from late October. Forty-six airlines would be affected. IndiGo alone would lose about 74 weekly international departures.
Airlines said no. Winter schedules, crew, aircraft, and ground staff cannot be reshuffled in a few weeks. A forced shift to Navi Mumbai on that timeline was not workable. The civil aviation ministry paused the Terminal 1 plan. Airlines and the airport must submit a firm transition plan by 20 October. Officials meet on 13 October.
Adani runs both Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Moving some international flights is logical for the operator. For airlines, it breaks tickets already sold for someone else’s construction project. The fight exists because Mumbai is full. Demand is high. Policy stepped in to slow the disruption.
If you fly international from Mumbai this winter, watch the 20 October plan. Terminal changes and slot cuts can break connections. For the industry, capacity at India’s busiest airport is scarce. Someone has to give up flights if T1 is to be rebuilt on a tight clock. The ministry may force a slower path that airlines can live with, or the dual-airport shift may return after winter schedules are set.
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For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Verify with filings and a licensed adviser.