Adani’s Mumbai airport shelves winter flight cuts, 265 weekly international departures to remain unchanged

Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), operated by Adani Airports, has put its proposed reduction in international flight slots on hold, allowing airlines to operate their existing winter schedules without disruption. The decision follows discussions between airport management and the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) of Mumbai amid concerns over the planned redevelopment of Terminal 1.

The airport operator had proposed reducing 265 of the approximately 770 weekly international departure slots at Terminal 2, a cut of nearly 34%, to accommodate passengers displaced by the redevelopment of Terminal 1. The proposal had faced resistance from airlines over operational preparedness, safety assessments and the arrangements for shifting flight operations.

In a media statement published on October 14, MIAL said: “They have further given a commitment not to disturb any slots for the winter schedule.” The statement followed a meeting between Adani Airports director Jeet Adani, chief executive officer Arun Bansal and the airline representatives.

The company added that a joint working group would prepare an implementation plan for the redevelopment of the ageing terminal over the next two weeks. Airlines have also committed to supporting redevelopment and traffic balancing from the summer schedule, while carriers seeking to shift operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) will receive support.

The two sides have agreed to meet again on October 28 to review progress and discuss the way forward.

Terminal redevelopment at the centre of the dispute

The proposed flight adjustments are linked to plans to partially redevelop the northern section of Terminal 1B, with work scheduled to begin in January 2027. The airport operator has cited safety concerns involving the ageing infrastructure as a key reason for the redevelopment.

According to Adani Airports, Mumbai airport handles around 55 million passengers annually, of whom approximately five million use the section earmarked for temporary closure. The affected traffic accounts for about 9% of the airport’s overall passenger volume.

The redevelopment is intended to expand capacity and improve infrastructure, but the transition has raised questions about how displaced passengers and flights can be accommodated without creating operational bottlenecks.

The decision to retain winter slots provides airlines with greater schedule certainty during the peak travel period. The winter schedule runs from October 25, 2026, to March 27, 2027.

The longer-term challenge remains balancing capacity between Mumbai’s existing airport and NMIA while ensuring that redevelopment proceeds without compromising passenger convenience or operational safety.