Mumbai Airport Shift: Why Emirates And Air France Are Resisting Adani’s Navi Mumbai Move

Foreign airlines are resisting a proposed shift of flights from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai, leaving the Adani Group’s airport operator short of its target to move five million annual passengers before redevelopment work begins at the existing airport.

Emirates has questioned whether Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) can accommodate large-scale international operations, while Air France-KLM has described splitting services between the two airports as “operationally inefficient”, according to The Indian Express.

The disagreement remains unresolved days before Mumbai International Airport Limited’s (MIAL) November 3 deadline for airlines to submit transition plans. Indian carriers have agreed to shifts accounting for three million annual passengers, leaving another two million to meet the operator’s target.

Why Does Adani Want Airlines To Move?

MIAL wants to transfer five million annual passengers from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) by the end of March 2027 to free capacity for the redevelopment of Terminal 1B, The Indian Express reported.

Both CSMIA and Navi Mumbai airport are managed by Adani Airport Holdings. The new airport is around 50 km from the existing facility, according to Mint.

The redevelopment requires some domestic traffic to be accommodated at Terminal 2, putting pressure on the space available for international services. MIAL had proposed reducing T2’s weekly international departures by 265, out of 770—roughly one-third.

The Mumbai Airline Operators Committee opposed that proposal, prompting the Ministry of Civil Aviation to ask the operator and airlines to negotiate a mutually acceptable transition.

Why are Emirates and Air France-KLM resisting?

Foreign carriers want more information about Navi Mumbai’s infrastructure, capacity and passenger demand before committing flights to the airport.

Emirates has argued that NMIA does not yet have the "operational capacity" required for large-scale services by global airlines, The Indian Express reported. Air France-KLM has opposed dividing its operations between the two airports.

NMIA’s initial annual capacity is 20 million passengers, including five million international passengers, Mint reported. However, foreign airlines are seeking detailed information on how the transition would work before agreeing to relocate services.

April or October? The Dispute Over Timing

A second meeting between foreign airline representatives and Adani Airport’s management ended without agreement on Wednesday, two people present told Mint. The discussion lasted around 90 minutes; the previous meeting took place on October 13.

Foreign carriers sought time until the winter schedule beginning in October 2027 to move some operations. The operator maintained that capacity reductions at Mumbai would begin in April, when redevelopment work starts.

“Adani Airport has sought a transition plan from airlines by 3 November,” one person present at the meeting told Mint.

The airlines have opposed reductions during the summer schedule, which begins in late March. The Airline Operators Committee has proposed a joint committee of airport and airline representatives to prepare a transition plan for winter 2027, according to The Indian Express.

It has also insisted that any reduction follow the 2013 slot guidelines and be decided collaboratively.

What Happens If Airlines Refuse?

Adani Airport Holdings chief executive Arun Bansal said some airlines could face a temporary suspension of Mumbai services if they declined to move.

“The airlines will have to make a choice, certain airlines, not all. Either they move to Navi Mumbai or temporarily stop flying to Mumbai,” Bansal said during an Adani Enterprises earnings call on Wednesday, according to Mint.

He said discussions with the remaining airlines were nearing completion and that the operator expected a decision within a month.

The unresolved issue is how to reconcile the operator’s April capacity cuts with foreign carriers’ request for an October transition. Their resistance leaves MIAL short of its passenger-shift target as the deadline for plans approaches.

Which Indian Airlines Have Agreed To Shift?

Akasa Air, IndiGo and the Air India Group have announced plans to transfer some services to Navi Mumbai.

Akasa will move its Mumbai-Jeddah flights from December. Air India Express plans to start four daily domestic flights that month, followed by a phased transfer of West Asian services from January 2027, Mint reported.

IndiGo plans to shift 12 daily international departures between February and July 2027. Together, IndiGo and the Air India Group intend to transfer 133 weekly international departures by July, according to Mint.

The Indian carriers’ plans account for three million annual passengers, The Indian Express reported, compared with MIAL’s five-million target.