Airlines push back against plan to move third of intl flights to Navi Mumbai

In a formal letter, the Airline Operators Committee told Mumbai International Airport Ltd that it “categorically rejects” any one-sided reallocation of traffic, slot cuts or relocation of international operations without due process. The airport had proposed moving roughly a third of international flights from Terminal 2 to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport starting summer 2027, alongside a temporary cut of 265 of the 770 weekly international departure slots.

Airlines claim they have not consented to any such changes and request evidence that the shift is necessary, citing the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s 2013 slot-allocation guidelines and IATA’s worldwide slot standards. They also question the need to reduce T2 slots to accommodate domestic passengers displaced by the demolition and reconstruction of Terminal 1. The AOC asked for a written response by Oct 21 confirming no unilateral action will be taken and called for a detailed discussion of the T1 refurbishment plan. The next dialogue between the parties is set for Oct 28.