MUMBAI, India — October 29, 2026 — Mumbai’s main airport (BOM) has given airlines until November 3 to submit plans for moving part of their international flying to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI). The airport wants the space so it can demolish and rebuild its old Terminal 1, but foreign airlines have not agreed.
What Mumbai airport is asking
- Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), which runs Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, wants to temporarily move international traffic equal to about 5 million passengers a year to Navi Mumbai.
- Airlines must file transition plans by November 3, 2026.
- Business Standard reports that MIAL wants airlines to shift about one-third of their international flights from the summer 2027 schedule. Earlier reports cited by the paper put the target at 265 of 770 weekly international departures.
- MIAL says the moved traffic will come back to Mumbai once Terminal 1 is rebuilt and Terminal 2 is expanded, which would lift the airport’s capacity from about 55 million to about 65 million passengers a year. The rebuild is expected to run until 2030.
Where the airlines stand
| Airlines | Position |
|---|---|
| IndiGo, Air India group, Akasa Air | Have finalized plans to move international flights to Navi Mumbai, covering about 3 million passengers a year. Business Standard says the moves would happen between January and the summer season; another report says a phased move starts in December. |
| Foreign airlines | Have not agreed. A Wednesday meeting with the airline operators’ committee, which represents 47 airlines, ended without a deal. Many oppose losing Mumbai slots from summer 2027 and want T1 rebuilt in phases instead. |
| Which routes move | TBA |
What it means for non-revs
- Nothing changes yet for foreign carriers. No foreign airline has agreed to move, and the target is the summer 2027 schedule. Keep flying into BOM as normal for now.
- Check the airport code on Indian carriers. IndiGo, Air India and Akasa are preparing to shift some international flights to Navi Mumbai over the coming months. When you list for a Mumbai flight on these airlines, confirm whether it uses BOM or NMI.
- Plan for two-airport connections. If your inbound and outbound flights end up at different Mumbai airports, you will need to clear the airport and travel across the city, which is not practical on a standby itinerary with a short layover. Look for itineraries that stay at one airport.
- Watch for a final decision. The November 3 deadline is only for airline plans. Specific routes and dates are TBA.
Sources
- Business Standard, “MIAL asks airlines to submit Navi Mumbai flight shift plans by November 3” — business-standard.com
- Business Today, “Foreign airlines hold firm on Mumbai T2 shift; Adani Airports seeks transition plans by Nov 3” — businesstoday.in
- Whalesbook, “Mumbai Airport Sets Nov 3 Deadline for Airline Shift to Navi Mumbai” — whalesbook.com
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