Citizens travelling internationally from Mumbai may have to pay closer attention to their flight details in the coming months, as a major change in airport operations is being planned. Selected international flights currently operating from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) could shift to the newly opened Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), potentially changing the airport passengers need to travel to for their journeys.
Foreign airlines operating from Mumbai have recommended shifting some of their international flights to Navi Mumbai. The proposal was recently submitted to Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), which operates CSMIA. According to information, the move is intended to make space for the redevelopment of Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1 (T1).
The proposed shift could begin on March 28, 2027, with the start of the IATA Summer Schedule. It covers 14 international destinations, mainly in the Middle East and Asia.
From March 28, 2027, CSMIA is expected to temporarily suspend flight slots for 14 international destinations. These include Jeddah, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, Bahrain, Kuwait City, Dammam, Sharjah, Madinah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Kathmandu, Dhaka and Jakarta.
Under the proposal, all flights to a particular destination should operate from one airport. This means passengers travelling to the same destination will not have to use different airports depending on their airline.
Why Are Flights Being Shifted?
The main reason is the redevelopment of Terminal 1, which was opened in 1964 and currently has the capacity to handle 15 million passengers annually.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) Chief Airport Officer Vishnu Mohan Jha has written to the Civil Aviation Secretary about the proposed changes.
According to MIAL, around five million passengers per year need to be shifted out of CSMIA to allow redevelopment work. Indian airlines have already proposed shifting services covering around three million passengers annually.
MIAL has said that approximately 91% of the airport’s existing capacity will remain unaffected.
Airlines were asked to submit their voluntary shifting proposals by November 3, 2026. If they fail to do so, MIAL has indicated that it may shift all flights to the 14 destinations.
Several Indian airlines have started planning their operations from Navi Mumbai.
IndiGo: Will gradually shift 12 daily international departures to NMIA between February and July 2027, covering 12 destinations.
Air India Express: Will begin four daily domestic flights from NMIA in December 2026. Oman and planned Kuwait services are expected to follow from January 2027.
Air India Group: Services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah are expected to shift by Northern Summer 2027.
Akasa Air: Will begin Mumbai–Jeddah flights from NMIA in December 2026.
The redevelopment of Terminal 1 is expected to begin in April 2027, with demolition taking place in phases.
Structural audits by Structwel in 2017 and IIT Bombay in 2024 had raised concerns about the terminal’s infrastructure. MIAL has also said that the redevelopment has been delayed by more than nine years.
After reconstruction, the terminal’s passenger capacity will increase from 15 million to 20 million annually.
The new terminal will also have:
- 25 contact stands instead of 7.
- 109 check-in counters instead of 74.
- 11 baggage belts instead of 5.
- 15 security lanes instead of 8.
- Five transfer passenger security lanes.
The project is expected to be completed by 2030.
CSMIA’s Terminal 2 will also be expanded. Construction of a new north-west pier is expected to begin in January 2027 and become operational by March 2029.
The expansion will add four domestic bus boarding gates and increase CSMIA’s overall passenger capacity from 55 million to 65 million annually.
Meanwhile, Navi Mumbai International Airport will initially handle 20 million passengers annually, including 15 million domestic and five million international passengers. Its planned future capacity is 90 million passengers.
To attract international airlines, NMIA is also offering incentives, including a 100% landing-fee waiver for new international routes in their first year and a 50% discount in the second year.
The proposed changes could affect thousands of passengers travelling from Mumbai, particularly those flying to Gulf destinations for work, business or family visits.
Travellers should carefully check their tickets and airline updates before departure, especially for journeys scheduled from March 2027 onwards.
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