'Relocate Or Temporarily Suspend Operations,' Mumbai Airport Gives Ultimatum To Airlines Before Terminal-1 Demolition; To Honour Historic Slots

Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) operator has given domestic airlines operating out of Terminal 1 (T1) two options: either relocate their operations or temporarily suspend services from October 25. This ultimatum arises as the airport prepares to demolish and reconstruct the historic terminal, which is scheduled to commence in January 2027.

MIAL has emphasized that it will honor the airlines' historic slots once the new terminal is built. The decision comes in the wake of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) tariff order, which stipulates that T1 be fully reconstructed. While the airport had initially planned to start demolition in mid-2025, it voluntarily deferred the process due to the absence of an alternative operating facility for airlines.

If airlines do not wish to shift operations to Terminal 2 (T2) or the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), they can suspend services temporarily until the new terminal building is ready in 2029-30. However, MIAL has assured that this is a temporary transition and that historic slot rights will be protected once the new terminal becomes operational.

With T1 suffering from architectural limitations and limited apron expansion room, the redevelopment plan aims to upgrade the passenger terminal to handle over 20 million passengers per annum (mppa) and provide seamless underground connectivity to T2 and the Mumbai Metro network. This shift will force airlines, particularly budget carriers like IndiGo and Akasa Air, to re-evaluate their schedule stability in Mumbai.