Adani Mumbai Airport Row: Foreign Airlines Oppose Shift Of 14 International Routes To Navi Mumbai

Foreign airlines have approached the Centre seeking clarification over the Adani Group-operated Mumbai airport's decision to deny historical flight slots to select foreign carriers operating services to 14 international destinations, amid plans to shift these flights to Navi Mumbai for the Summer 2027 schedule.

In a communication to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), the Airline Operators Committee (AOC)-Mumbai has sought clarification on whether the government approved Mumbai International Airport Ltd's (MIAL) proposal to shift flights serving 14 international destinations to Navi Mumbai. It has also questioned the denial of historical slots to affected foreign carriers and asked the ministry to intervene and direct the airport operator to restore them.

The dispute concerns the Northern Summer 2027 schedule, which begins in late March, and follows an earlier intervention by the ministry in October, when it asked MIAL to defer a broader flight relocation plan and work towards an agreement with airlines.

Airlines Challenge Denial Of Historical Slots

The Indian Express identified 11 Gulf-based carriers affected by the slot dispute: Gulf Air, Riyadh Air, Air Arabia, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air, Flyadeal, Saudia, Qatar Airways, Jazeera Airways, SalamAir and Flynas.

The committee has asked the ministry to ensure that MIAL honours the airlines' historical slots under the 2013 MoCA Slot Guidelines and the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG).

In its communication, the AOC said MIAL's slot coordination team had declined the requested historical slots of select international carriers without further consultation or discussion with the affected airlines.

"Airport redevelopment plans should not, in themselves, result in the withdrawal, denial or reallocation of historical slots," the committee said, adding that capacity-related adjustments must follow the prescribed regulatory framework and ensure transparency, fairness and non-discriminatory treatment.

Business Standard reported that the AOC had questioned the basis of MIAL's proposed five-million-passenger-per-annum (MPPA) reduction in Mumbai airport's capacity. The committee said its member airlines understood Terminal 1's operational capacity to be around 10 MPPA or less and questioned the methodology behind the proposed reduction.

MIAL has cited the redevelopment of the northern section of Terminal 1B, scheduled to begin in January 2027, as the reason for the proposed temporary reduction in Mumbai airport's capacity. Its plan involves reducing international operations at Terminal 2 to accommodate domestic passengers displaced by the redevelopment.

Why MIAL Wants To Shift Flights To Navi Mumbai

The 14 destinations identified in MIAL's proposal are Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah.

In a letter to the ministry dated October 30, MIAL proposed that airlines first submit plans for voluntary relocation to Navi Mumbai. It said all flights serving the 14 destinations would be shifted if the carriers did not submit such plans. The airport operator said consolidating services at one airport would prevent flights to the same destinations from being split between the two airports and help minimise passenger inconvenience and disruptions to onward connections.

According to Business Standard, citing Cirium's November 2026 schedule, 16 airlines operate 205 weekly departures from Mumbai to the 14 destinations. Indian carriers IndiGo, Air India Group and Akasa Air have announced plans to shift some services, accounting for around three million passengers annually. The remaining 12 foreign airlines account for 102 weekly departures.

The proposed five-million-passenger reduction is linked to the redevelopment of Terminal 1, which MIAL says requires additional capacity at Terminal 2 to accommodate displaced passengers.

MIAL has told airlines that their historical slots will be fully restored once the Terminal 2 expansion is completed and additional capacity becomes available.

Earlier Ministry Intervention And Airlines' Concerns

The latest disagreement follows the ministry's October 6 intervention, when it asked MIAL to defer an earlier proposal to shift 265 of Mumbai airport's 770 weekly international departures to Navi Mumbai. The ministry directed the airport operator to consult airlines and work towards a mutually agreed transition plan before proceeding with the relocation.

According to Business Standard, the earlier proposal required MIAL to secure stakeholder agreement and obtain the necessary regulatory approvals as part of its broader redevelopment plan. The latest communication from the AOC indicates that airlines remain concerned about the process followed by the airport operator, particularly the denial of historical slots.

The AOC has warned that shifting international carriers to Navi Mumbai could disrupt connecting journeys for passengers travelling between services operating from the two airports, besides affecting established interline and codeshare arrangements and airlines' network planning.

The Financial Express reported that airlines have also raised concerns over Hajj and Umrah operations, which require advance planning, predictable seasonal capacity and continuity at major airports. The proposed changes could affect pilgrimage capacity and the availability of seasonal services for Hajj and Umrah travellers.

The ministry is now expected to seek a response from Adani Airport Holdings on the complaints.

"The ministry is examining the complaint and will seek Adani Airport's response. A decision can be taken only after receiving its inputs," a source aware of the development told The Financial Express.

In its communication, the AOC urged the ministry to intervene, saying: "Kindly advise MIAL to reconsider its decision and restore all the historical slots of the affected Airlines for NS-27 (Northern Summer)."