25 October,2026 06:27 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Air India Express plans to operate four daily domestic flights from NMIA from December 2026. FILE PIC
Air India Express and IndiGo are planning to progressively shift selected flight operations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), as Mumbai's dual-airport system takes shape alongside the planned redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1.
The phased transition will see Air India Express begin operating four daily domestic flights from NMIA in December 2026, followed by selected international services from January 2027. IndiGo, meanwhile, plans to commence international operations from NMIA in February 2027 and progressively transfer 12 daily international departures from CSMIA over the following months.
The moves are part of a broader plan to facilitate the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at CSMIA, while distributing capacity across Mumbai's two airports and supporting future airline expansion.
The airport operator said the initial phase aims to shift around five million passengers to NMIA. Approximately 3 million passengers account for around 70 per cent of the traffic targeted for relocation in the first phase. The temporary transition represents about 9 per cent of CSMIA's annual passenger traffic of 55 million, while around 91 per cent of the traffic will continue to operate from CSMIA.
IndiGo plans to progressively transfer all its current international operations from CSMIA to 11 destinations - Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta - representing 12 daily international departures.
The airline also plans to introduce an additional daily service to Kathmandu. Its international network from NMIA is expected to cover 12 destinations between February and July 2027.
Alongside the international transition, IndiGo will move the domestic connectivity required to support these services from CSMIA to NMIA. Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), the airport operator, is working on the infrastructure needed to facilitate smooth transfers between the airline's domestic and international flights.
The transition is expected to serve two objectives for IndiGo at CSMIA. It will create room for the airline's planned international expansion in 2027 across Asia, Africa and Europe, using its expanding fleet of A320, A321 and A321XLR aircraft, without placing further pressure on the capacity-constrained airport.
The associated domestic transition will also support IndiGo's share of the capacity reductions required for the redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1 by 2030. According to the announcement, any further adjustments required to IndiGo's services at Terminal 1 will be accommodated at Terminal 2.
IndiGo said the final dates for the transition and the introduction of new services at CSMIA would be announced after project coordination and the necessary operating approvals.
Air India Express plans to operate four daily domestic flights from NMIA from December 2026. It will then introduce planned services to Kuwait, subject to the requisite approvals, and operate its existing services to Oman from January 2027.
The airline will progressively transition services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah to NMIA, with the process expected to be completed by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.
Air India Group said the move follows collaboration with the airport operator and forms part of a wider transition plan covering domestic and international operations. The plan is intended to support the long-awaited redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1 while allowing the group to continue serving the Mumbai market efficiently.
The group also said the transition would preserve its existing historic slot rights at CSMIA, with the airport operator saying these rights would be honoured once the redeveloped terminal becomes operational. Operating from both CSMIA and NMIA is expected to strengthen connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and offer passengers greater choice and convenience.
The phased transitions are intended to support a transparent, equitable and proportionate rebalancing of capacity across Mumbai's dual-airport system, taking each airline's existing presence at CSMIA into account.
The approach is aimed at enabling an orderly transition, minimising operational disruption and giving airlines and passengers greater planning certainty as NMIA's operations expand and CSMIA's Terminal 1 redevelopment progresses.
The redevelopment is expected to increase Terminal 1's annual passenger-handling capacity by approximately 33 per cent, from 15 million to 20 million passengers. The modernised terminal is also expected to feature upgraded passenger facilities and digital systems, alongside safety enhancements.
Connectivity to NMIA is also expected to improve with three bridges - SBR-9, BR-4 and BR-5 - built by CIDCO across Panvel Creek and the Gadhi River. According to the airport operator, the bridges will strengthen links between NMIA, Atal Setu, Ulwe Coastal Road, Amra Marg and NH-4B.
AAHL said NMIA has been developed with advanced technology, multimodal connectivity and scalable infrastructure to support growing passenger and airline requirements.
The timelines announced by the airlines are planned transition schedules, not confirmation that all services have already moved. IndiGo's final transition dates remain subject to project coordination and operating approvals, while Air India Express's planned Kuwait services are subject to the requisite approvals.
