MIAL to shift 14 int'l flights to Navi Mumbai

Mumbai International Airport (MIAL) has suggested relocating 14 international flights from their current location to the newly built Navi Mumbai International Airport. The Adani-owned airport has requested the civil aviation ministry to assist in this transition if airlines fail to surrender their slots. In a letter from MIAL's chief airport officer, Vishnu Mohan Jha, the airport expressed their intent to move services temporarily to Navi Mumbai for the purpose of demolishing and rebuilding Terminal 1.

MIAL aims to shift around five million passengers annually, which is approximately 9% of the existing airport's capacity.

This decision is expected to consolidate all flights from the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) to these 14 international destinations at a single airport, rather than having them split between two airports in the same area. Consequently, international passengers traveling between Mumbai and destinations in the Gulf and other Asian regions may need to use Navi Mumbai instead of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

The move has also raised concerns about the protection of airlines' historical slots and the regulatory process for relocating foreign carriers between two distinct airports.