Mumbai, Jan 24: Regional carrier Star Air has quietly halted all operations from the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) a month after the airport commenced operations. The airline claimed that the suspension was planned to allow its aircraft to undergo maintenance and that services will resume post maintenance.
Services suspended a month after launch
In a surprise development for the newly inaugurated greenfield airport, Sanjay Ghodawat Group’s Star Air has suspended its flight services from the facility on an immediate basis. The move comes a month after the carrier made history as one of the first operators to launch services from NMIA.
Routes affected by suspension
The Bengaluru-based airline utilised its Embraer 175 fleet to connect Navi Mumbai with Ahmedabad and Goa (Mopa) from the first day of NMIA’s operations. Along with these two destinations, the decision will also affect connecting services to Nanded and Bengaluru, which were indirectly linked via Ahmedabad and Goa, respectively.
CEO cites maintenance reasons
The Free Press Journal contacted Star Air’s CEO, Simran Singh Tiwana, who stated that the decision is a temporary measure dictated by technical necessities. “This is not a suspension. It was planned prior so that the aircraft can undergo scheduled maintenance. The services will resume once the aircraft complete maintenance,” he said.
Resumption timeline unclear
While the CEO did not provide a specific date for the resumption of flights, he said that it could take a month to resume services. However, industry sources suggest that the suspension could last more than a month as the regional carrier balances its limited fleet across its pan-India network.
No response from airport operator
The Free Press Journal also contacted NMIA’s airport operator but did not receive any response till the time the report was published.
Airport operations continue to scale up
Despite Star Air’s temporary exit, the Navi Mumbai International Airport remains on a growth trajectory. The airport started operations with 15 daily departures and is currently handling around 23 to 24 departures, which is expected to scale up to 34 by February as it transitions to 24/7 operations.
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Major carriers like IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India continue to operate on routes to Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Goa, Lucknow, Chennai, Cochin, Ahmedabad, Coimbatore, Mangaluru, Nagpur, Jaipur and Vadodara.
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