Mumbai: Fadnavis Proposes Alternative Plan For Airport's T1 Redevelopment, Opposes Flight Shift To Navi Mumbai

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday opposed the Mumbai airport operator’s plan to shift 14 international flights to Navi Mumbai from next summer.

Alternative plan for Terminal 1 redevelopment

Fadnavis has proposed an alternative sequence for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 (T1), which would allow the existing terminal to remain operational until its replacement is ready. He has also written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, raising concerns over the proposed shift of flights.

“I have written to them to first develop Terminal 1B, shift 1A to 1B and then take down the existing 1A terminal,” Fadnavis was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI), a central government entity, holds a 26 per cent stake in Mumbai airport, while the remaining 74 per cent is owned by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL). The redevelopment of T1 has raised concerns over how flight operations and passenger traffic will be managed during the construction period.

Fadnavis has suggested that T1 be demolished and reconstructed in phases instead of being shut down entirely before work on its replacement begins.

International flights proposed for shift

According to reports last month, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) informed airlines of its plan to reduce international operations at Terminal 2 (T2) by one-third from the Summer 2027 schedule, beginning in March-end. The move is intended to accommodate five million passengers per annum (mppa) of domestic traffic that would be displaced during the first phase of T1's demolition.

Furthermore, last week, AAHL informed the ministry about its plan to shift flights connecting Mumbai with 14 international destinations to Navi Mumbai from next summer.

The destinations include Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah.

MIAL has informed airlines that it cannot accommodate their requested slots for the Summer 2027 schedule and that a temporary shift of operations from T2 will be necessary.

Airlines seek phased redevelopment

However, the proposed move has faced resistance from airlines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents airlines globally, has urged the ministry to adopt a phased redevelopment approach. Under this proposal, different sections of T1 would be demolished and reconstructed in stages to avoid a complete loss, routinely passengers using the services at the airport.

The existing T1, which has a capacity of 15 million passengers per annum (mppa), is scheduled to be completely demolished by March 2028. While, the reconstruction is expected to begin only after the demolition is completed, with the new terminal likely to be ready by December 2030.

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