Mumbai: Passenger movement at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is set for a significant realignment as Akasa Air and Air India Express have finalised major terminal restructuring plans.
According to CSMIA's operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd. (MIAL), Akasa Air is set to entirely exit Terminal-1 (T1). From August 1, the carrier will move all domestic and international operations exclusively to the integrated Terminal-2 (T2). On the other hand, Air India Express will split its operations across both the terminals from October 1. All of its domestic flights will relocate to T1, while its international flights will continue to depart from and arrive at T2.
Verify terminals, says airport
“Passengers travelling on these airlines are requested to verify their flight terminals with the respective airlines before proceeding to the airport,” an airport spokesperson said. Similarly, Akasa Air requested the passengers to plan for additional time to reach T2 well in time for their flight.
Reshuffle to balance load
According to sources close to the development, the reshuffle is aimed at balancing the immense daily operational load between the airport's two main structures of maximising aircraft turnaround efficiencies and optimising passenger traffic flow.
Following the complete execution of these shifts by October, Mumbai Airport's T1 will effectively operate as a dedicated domestic base, facilitating the operations of just four carriers, including IndiGo, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air. Notably, T1 is set for a major revamp as the airport operator had previously announced a detailed roadmap to redevelop the terminal to serve around 20 million passengers annually. The modernisation, which was earlier scheduled to begin in November 2025, has been reportedly shifted to 2030.
Notably, CSMIA is the second-busiest airport in India and the busiest single runway airport in the world, handling over 55 million passengers. The optimisation of operations becomes crucial for airlines to continue flying out of the city seamlessly. With the recent partial decongestion offered by the launch of Navi Mumbai International Airport, CSMIA is said to further refine its layout.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
