Mumbai airport impasse persists as Adani insists on airline capacity curbs

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New Delhi: The tussle between the Adani-managed Mumbai airport and airlines over shifting international flights to Navi Mumbai, 50 km away, is far from abating. Less than a week after talks failed to break the deadlock, the airport operator has reiterated its plan to restrict capacity by the equivalent of 5 million passengers a year from April, leaving airlines to decide how to adjust their operations. The airlines, however, are unwilling to move flights or give up existing slots without a clear justification for the cuts, deepening the standoff ahead of another meeting on 28 October.

In an email to the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) on 19 October, the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), operated by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, reiterated that the capacity restrictions would take effect from the summer 2027 schedule in April, while leaving individual airlines to decide how to adjust their operations.

In the email, the operator said airlines could choose to shift some or all of their operations to the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), temporarily suspend operations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) until Terminal 1 reopens in 2030, or explore other alternatives.

“As we explained in the meeting on Oct 13th, approx 5 million pax capacity needs to be restricted at CSMIA from S27 schedule,” the airport operator told the airlines. “Individual airlines have complete freedom to make their own decisions regarding the S27 schedule or beyond,” it said.

The email effectively leaves airlines to work out how to accommodate the capacity restriction that MIAL says is necessary during the redevelopment of Terminal 1. The onus is now on airlines to come up with alternative operating plans before the next meeting of 28 October.

The operator also reiterated that the historic slots would be restored once Terminal 1 at the Mumbai airport is redeveloped.

MIAL is a joint venture between Adani Airport Holdings Ltd, the country’s second-largest airport operator after GMR Airports.

Airlines, however, maintain they have not agreed to shift international operations to Navi Mumbai or surrender their slots at the Mumbai airport.

In an email on 17 October, the AOC had rejected any suggestion that individual consultations amounted to acceptance of the relocation plan. It sought a formal response from MIAL by 5pm on 21 October, asking the operator to confirm that no unilateral action affecting traffic allocation or airline slots would be taken pending meaningful consultation and regulatory compliance.

AOC Mumbai represents all 47 airlines operating out of Mumbai airport.

“AOC member airline has not agreed to the proposed transfer of international operations from CSMIA to NMIA, nor consented to any reduction or cancellation of its allocated slots at CSMIA,” the committee said in its email reviewed by Mint.

The airlines also questioned the need for the proposed capacity restrictions, arguing that MIAL has not provided sufficient evidence to justify reducing or cancelling slots. “Any such proposal must be supported by verifiable capacity assessments, operational data and a clear, evidence-based justification,” it said.

The committee pointed to Terminal 1’s current passenger-handling capacity of less than 10 million passengers per annum (mppa), against a total 15 million, arguing that the terminal’s capacity should not be treated as limited to 5 mppa.

It also cited an expected addition of 5 mppa in capacity at Terminal 2 by March, questioning why slots would need to be reduced at the airport.

Mumbai airport handled nearly 55 million passengers in FY26, of which 38 million was domestic and nearly 17 million was international.

The AOC has sought a comprehensive Terminal 1 refurbishment plan, including its scope, structural safety assessment, implementation phases, timelines, terminal-wise capacity and utilisation data, and arrangements to accommodate traffic during the work.

It also urged MIAL to comply with the civil aviation ministry’s slot-allocation guidelines issued in May 2013 and the International Air Transport Association’s Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines. These guidelines reduce ambiguity on slot allocations while maintaining that slot cuts at airports by an operator should be restricted unless in case of an emergency.

The dispute began after MIAL proposed temporarily discontinuing 265 of 770 weekly international departure slots at Terminal 2 from 25 October, citing the planned redevelopment of Terminal 1 from January. This plan was to affect 46 airlines.

Airlines opposed the proposal, prompting the civil aviation ministry to intervene and pause the plan. At least two airlines, Air France-KLM and Emirates, have been vocal in pointing out that splitting operations between the two airports was not viable. Emirates pointed to the lack of an ecosystem, including ground-handlers and catering, at the Navi Mumbai airport, while Air France-KLM said there was no separate catchment area for it. At the 13 October meeting, the sides discussed alternatives, but no agreement on relocating operations was reached.

The 28 October meeting is expected to provide another opportunity to resolve the impasse.

Abhishek Law has spent 18 years in journalism, which in news industry terms means he has survived several newsroom restructurings, countless “urgent” press releases, and more cups of tea than he can reasonably count. Based in New Delhi, he covers aviation for Mint, a sector where aircraft, oil prices, geopolitics and airline CEOs regularly conspire to make his life interesting.Most of his time gets occupied by translating airline jargon like ASKs, yields, load factors and fleet strategies into language that doesn’t require a pilot’s licence. His motto is simple: if readers need a glossary, he hasn’t done his job properly.On most days, the quadragenarian is tracking airline strategies, policy…