Mumbai: Airline services at Mumbai airport will continue as planned during winter. The proposal to cut 265 international flights has been put on hold following a positive meeting between Adani Airports leadership and airline representatives.
According to a CNBC-TV18 report, Jeet Adani and Arun Bansal met with the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) of Mumbai airport. They assured carriers that their existing slot allocations would be respected, with no changes to slots during the winter schedule.
Redevelopment plans shift towards summer schedule
The report further stated that both sides had agreed to form a joint working group that would spend the next two weeks preparing an implementation plan for the redevelopment of the ageing Terminal 1 (T1) infrastructure.
Airlines have also committed to supporting the redevelopment and the proposed traffic-balancing measures, which are expected to begin with the summer schedule.
The next stakeholder meeting is scheduled for October 28, when discussions are expected to focus on the redevelopment plan and the transition of operations between terminals.
Dispute over Terminal 2 capacity
The meeting follows a standoff between Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and airlines over a proposal to reduce international operations at Terminal 2 (T2) to facilitate T1’s redevelopment. MIAL had proposed a joint plan to manage traffic at T2 and accommodate passengers affected by the redevelopment.
The plan involved shifting around five million passengers annually from T1 to T2, which would require a temporary reduction in traffic at T2 to create additional capacity.
Ministry intervenes over proposed slot cuts
Following the dispute, the Ministry of Civil Aviation intervened on October 6, putting on hold the proposed discontinuation of 265 weekly international departure slots at T2 and asking the airport operator and airlines to work towards an acceptable transition plan.
The latest meeting appears to have eased immediate concerns over the winter schedule, while leaving the longer-term traffic-balancing plan to be worked out.
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