Mumbai Airport Moves 12 Airlines to Navi Mumbai in 2027
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has completed slot allocations for Summer 2027, leaving 12 international airlines without slots for affected services. They may move those flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport from late March 2027, clearing space for Terminal 1 reconstruction while preserving their historical slots.
Mumbai airport shifts 12 international airlines’ affected flights to Navi Mumbai from late March 2027, as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) prepares to rebuild Terminal 1. The change follows completion of slot allocations for the Summer 2027 schedule and is intended to make room for phased reconstruction.
The move affects around 16 daily departures serving 14 destinations. CSMIA says approximately 91 per cent of its existing traffic capacity will remain unaffected, while around five million passengers a year are expected to move to the new airport.
Why are 12 airlines moving flights to Navi Mumbai?
CSMIA allocated slots to 38 of the 50 international airlines operating from the airport after consultations with carriers. The remaining 12 were not allotted slots at CSMIA for the upcoming summer schedule and may operate their affected services from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The transition is tied to the redevelopment of Terminal 1. By shifting some flights, the airport aims to create room for construction while keeping most of its existing traffic capacity in place. The airlines’ historical slot allocations are also expected to remain protected during the temporary move.
For passengers, the practical change is that affected international services may operate from NMIA rather than CSMIA from late March 2027. The shift is part of a wider transition: domestic airlines IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air had announced plans to move flights serving 14 destinations to NMIA.
Terminal 1 reconstruction and capacity plans
Terminal 1’s annual passenger-handling capacity is set to rise from 15 million passengers per annum to 20 million after its expansion. Construction is scheduled to start in January 2027, with the expanded facility targeted to become operational by March 2029.
The planned four-level extension will add four domestic bus boarding gates and expand passenger-processing areas, security screening infrastructure and crew facilities. The redevelopment is also intended to address structural concerns at the ageing terminal.
Terminal 1 was commissioned in 1964 and has a designed capacity of 15 million passengers annually. Structural audits by Structwel in 2017 and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2024 flagged concerns about its existing infrastructure.
Demolition work is scheduled to begin in April 2027, followed by redevelopment in phases. CSMIA has said historical airline slots will remain undisturbed during the temporary transition, preserving carriers’ long-term operational arrangements as affected flights move to NMIA.
