Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis urged the Union Civil Aviation Ministry to adopt a phased approach for Mumbai Airport's Terminal 1 redevelopment.
The proposal advocates building Terminal 1B first before demolishing Terminal 1A, preventing forced flight cancellations and operational disruptions.
The plan opposes shifting 14 international routes to the upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport, addressing strong objections raised by international airlines and IATA.
Fadnavis Proposes Phased Redevelopment Of Mumbai Airport's T1 To Avoid Disruption Of Flights
Devendra Fadnavis urges the Civil Aviation Ministry to adopt a phased approach—constructing new facilities before tearing down existing ones—to avoid forced relocation of international flights
Summary
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has proposed a phased redevelopment of Mumbai international airport's Terminal 1 (T1), suggesting that the existing facility remain operational until its replacement is ready to avoid disruption of flight services.
In a letter to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Fadnavis has suggested an alternative sequence for the redevelopment, under which the new terminal would be developed before the existing one is demolished.
"The idea is to have simultaneous development so that there is no need to transfer or cancel flights," a senior official in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) told PTI.
Under the proposed plan, Terminal 1B of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai would be developed first, after which operations from Terminal 1A would be shifted to 1B. Terminal 1A would then be demolished and reconstructed.
The proposal will enable the airport to undertake the redevelopment in phases instead of shutting down the entire existing terminal before construction of its replacement begins.
The redevelopment of T1, commissioned in 1964, is being undertaken primarily to address structural and safety concerns flagged in audits conducted by Structwel in 2017 and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2024.
Mumbai airport operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) initially planned to implement the partial shifting of international operations from October 25 this year and later deferred the deadline till March 2027 following concerns raised by various foreign airlines about the transition plan.
Two weeks ago, representatives from more than 35 airlines and Mumbai airport officials discussed the transition plan for partially shifting international flights from the airport to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Both sides had a constructive dialogue and MIAL presented detailed redevelopment schedules for T1, sources earlier said.
The new Terminal 1 at the CSMIA is expected to increase the terminal's passenger-handling capacity from 15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 20 MPPA. It will also feature upgrades to passenger processing, security screening and other infrastructure, with the redeveloped facility targeted to become operational by March 2029.
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