Full Breakdown
Mumbai’s Dual-Airport Transition: IndiGo and Air India Group Shift Flights to Navi Mumbai
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Shift of Operations
IndiGo and the Air India Group will move a portion of scheduled services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). IndiGo will transfer 12 daily international departures—Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta—and add a daily Kathmandu service, reaching 12 NMIA destinations by July 2027. Air India Express will start four daily domestic flights from NMIA in December 2026, followed by West-Asia services to Oman (existing) and Kuwait (subject to approval) from January 2027, with a full transition expected by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.
Background & Context
The move resolves a deadlock over relocating international traffic needed for the phased redevelopment of CSMIA’s Terminal 1, slated for completion by 2030. The dual-airport model will distribute traffic between CSMIA and NMIA, easing capacity constraints and supporting growth in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Timeline
- Oct 25 – IndiGo, Air India Group and Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) announce the transition plan.
- Dec 25 2025 – NMIA commercial operations begin; IndiGo’s first arrival from Bengaluru and departure to Hyderabad.
- Jul 15 2026 – NMIA launches its first international service, an Air India Express flight to Abu Dhabi.
- Dec 2026 – Air India Express starts four daily domestic flights from NMIA.
- Jan 2027 – Kuwait (subject to approval) and existing Oman flights shift to NMIA.
- Feb 2027 – IndiGo begins international operations from NMIA, transferring its 12 daily departures.
- Jul 2027 – IndiGo’s NMIA international network reaches 12 destinations.
- Mar 27 2027 – CSMIA winter schedule ends; relocated traffic continues from NMIA.
- IATA Northern Summer 2027 – Expected completion of Air India Express’s full West-Asia transition.
Data & Statistics
- First phase targets relocation of roughly 5 million passengers to NMIA.
- About 3 million passengers (?60 % of the first-phase traffic) will be transferred, representing roughly 70 % of the phase’s target.
- CSMIA handles about 55 million passengers annually; around 9 % will be temporarily shifted during redevelopment.
- NMIA’s initial design capacity is 20 million passengers per year, with plans to expand to 90 million.
Official Statements & Responses
- AAHL highlighted that moving around 3.6 million passengers—approximately 70 % of the targeted relocation—will create headroom for Terminal 1’s phased redevelopment.
Why It Matters
The redistribution frees capacity at CSMIA, allowing safety, digital and facility upgrades without major disruption. For IndiGo, the freed slots support its 2027 plan to launch additional international routes using its expanding Airbus A320/A321 and A321XLR fleet. Passengers gain more destination choices, better domestic-international connectivity and reduced congestion. NMIA’s modern infrastructure—including automated baggage handling, Digi Yatra systems and improved road links—positions it as a long-term international hub.
What’s Next
Final flight-specific dates will be announced after coordination and regulatory approvals. Adjustments to IndiGo’s operations at CSMIA’s Terminal 1, if needed, will be accommodated at Terminal 2. The relocation process should conclude by the end of the 2027 summer aviation season, after which focus will shift to completing Terminal 1’s redevelopment by 2030.