Airlines and Government Clash Over Plans to Move Flights to Navi Mumbai

The Proposed Move

Foreign airlines face a major change as the airport operator Adani Group has proposed moving a large share of flight operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport. The International Air Transport Association wrote to the Ministry of Civil Aviation on September 9 to object to this plan. The proposal requires international carriers to shift about one-third of their passenger and cargo movements away from Terminal 2 at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The shift is planned to start from October 1, 2026.

Impact on Flight Slots

The airline body stated that it strongly opposes any forced relocation done without proper talks. The plan includes cutting 265 weekly international departure slots out of 770 at Terminal 2 starting from October 26. This reduction equals about 34 percent of all international departure slots and will affect 46 different carriers. Among the affected airlines, IndiGo faces 74 slot cuts, Air India faces 33, while Emirates and Etihad Airways face 10 slot cuts each.

Context

Major cities with multiple airports often face logistical challenges when trying to balance traffic between older city facilities and newer hubs. Airport operators typically look to share passenger loads as travel demand grows, but airlines often push back against changes that disrupt their established schedules and connections.