Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has firmly opposed any proposal to shift international flights from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, asserting that both airports should operate independently and utilise their respective capacities.
Maharashtra CM Writes To Union Civil Aviation Minister Over Flight Diversion Proposal
Fadnavis has written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister, registering his strong objection to the proposed diversion of international flights and submitting an alternative plan for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai airport.
The issue arose after Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), which operates CSMIA, proposed shifting flights to 14 major international destinations, including Bahrain, Doha, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kuwait, Muscat, Riyadh and Sharjah, to Navi Mumbai airport from the next summer schedule.
Mumbai Airport Terminal 1 Redevelopment Raises Concerns Over Flight Slots And Passenger Capacity
The airport operator had argued that the redevelopment of Terminal 1 would make it difficult to accommodate summer flight slots. It had also indicated that international flight operations from Terminal 2 might have to be reduced by nearly one-third. The proposed arrangement was expected to affect the capacity to handle around five million domestic passengers annually.
However, the proposal faced strong opposition from several airlines and their global representative organisations. Following these objections, Fadnavis intervened and conveyed to the Centre that no international flight operating from Mumbai airport should be discontinued or diverted to Navi Mumbai.
Under the existing plan, Terminal 1, which has a passenger-handling capacity of 15 million, is proposed to be demolished and replaced with a new terminal by December 2030. However, shutting down the entire terminal simultaneously could severely disrupt flight operations for three years or more.
As an alternative, the Chief Minister has proposed a phased redevelopment strategy to ensure uninterrupted airport operations.
Under the plan, the new Terminal 1B should first be constructed and completed. Subsequently, the existing operations at Terminal 1A should be shifted to the newly built Terminal 1B. Only after this transition should the old Terminal 1A be demolished and redeveloped.
The Chief Minister has argued that this approach would allow existing passenger facilities and flight operations to continue until the new infrastructure is ready, eliminating the need to divert flights from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.
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