Adani Refuses to Budge in Mumbai Airport Standoff Over Shifting International Flights to Navi Mumbai

MUMBAI:The deadlock between Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) and airlines over the proposed relocation of international flight operations from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) continued on Monday.

 The airport operator, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) controlled by the Adani Group  reiterated that the existing Mumbai airport will have to restrict capacity of around 5 million passengers per annum beginning in the summer schedule of 2027 (S27) to accommodate the redevelopment of Terminal 1 (T1).

What Adani Offered:

 In its latest communication to airlines, MIAL said individual carriers would have full discretion over relocation of their international operations. Airlines can:

Voluntarily shift a portion or all of their weekly international flights to NMIA,

Temporarily suspend operations at the terminal until the redevelopment of T1 is completed (expected 2030), or

Explore other alternatives.

MIAL said it would restore historic slots at CSMIA once T1 is redeveloped and operational by 2030.

Why Airlines Are Opposing:

 The Airline Operators Committee (AOC), which represents 47 airlines, has categorically rejected any unilateral traffic reallocation, slot reduction, or cancellation or relocation of international operations without due process.

Airlines say they have not agreed to transfer international operations to NMIA or consented to any reduction or cancellation of allocated slots at CSMIA.

They argue operational complexity, commercial concerns, and logistical difficulty of splitting operations between two airports 35 km apart.

 The AOC demanded evidence justifying the proposed shift and asked MIAL to adhere to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s slot-allocation guidelines (May 2013) and IATA’s Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines.

The AOC also pointed out that T1 currently handles fewer than 10 million passengers annually against a capacity of 15 million, while T2 is expected to gain an additional 5 million capacity by March 2027, questioning the need to cut international departure slots.

Background:

 The dispute began with MIAL’s Oct 1 proposal to temporarily cut 265 of Mumbai airport’s 770 weekly international departure slots from Oct 25.

After airline objections, the Civil Aviation Ministry intervened on Oct 3 and the cuts were pushed back to the next summer schedule.

 MIAL had earlier proposed cancellation of one-third of international slots from Oct 26.

 Following an Oct 13 meeting, MIAL assured carriers that historical slots would remain untouched until the winter schedule ends in March 2027.

 The next stakeholder meeting is scheduled for October 28. The AOC has sought a written response by Oct 21 confirming no unilateral action will be taken pending meaningful consultation.