💰 Economy
IndiGo and Air India to move 133 weekly flights to Navi Mumbai
In 60 seconds: IndiGo and the Air India group will shift 133 weekly international departures from Mumbai's main airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport. Most go to West Asia, including Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam and Doha. The move frees space while Mumbai's Terminal 1 is rebuilt, which cuts that airport's capacity by five million passengers a year. Airlines must give up some slots there during the work.
Why it matters
If you fly from Mumbai to the Gulf, your flight may soon leave from Navi Mumbai, about 50 km away. Check your airport before you travel.
Explain it simply
When a busy railway station closes a platform for repairs, some trains shift to a nearby station. Mumbai's main airport is rebuilding Terminal 1, so many Gulf flights are moving to the new Navi Mumbai airport.
The 3-minute read
What happened
IndiGo and Air India group will shift 133 weekly international departures, carrying nearly three million passengers a year, to Navi Mumbai. IndiGo will move 12 daily international departures, including Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta, and plans a daily Kathmandu service. Air India will move seven daily departures, with Air India Express starting four daily domestic flights from Navi Mumbai in December.
Background
Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport is rebuilding Terminal 1, which handles about 15 million passengers a year. The rebuilt terminal is planned for 20 million passengers and is targeted to reopen by March 2030. During the work, the airport must cut capacity by five million passengers a year; this shift covers about 60% of that.
How it works
Flights will move in stages, with the transfer expected to finish in the summer 2027 schedule (28 March–30 October 2027). Airlines say their historic slots at Mumbai will be restored once the new terminal opens.
What's next
Capacity for about two million more passengers a year still has to be moved. Talks with other airlines continue, including foreign carriers such as Emirates and Air France-KLM, which have reservations about moving. Akasa Air may also shift some operations.
What it means for you
Travellers to the Gulf, Kathmandu, Dhaka or Jakarta should check which Mumbai airport their ticket is from, and allow extra travel time to reach Navi Mumbai.
Key numbers
- 133: Weekly international departures moving
- ~3 million: Passengers a year shifted
- 5 million: Yearly capacity cut at Mumbai airport
- 20 million: Capacity of the rebuilt Terminal 1
Both sides
- IndiGo and Air India: Moving flights lets them keep their services running while Mumbai rebuilds Terminal 1.
- Some foreign airlines: They are reluctant to shift to an airport about 50 km from the existing one.
Key terms explained
- Terminal 1
- The older terminal at Mumbai's main airport, now being rebuilt for 20 million passengers a year.
- Airport slot
- Permission for an airline to take off or land at a busy airport at a specific time.
The story so far
- Oct 2025: PM inaugurates Navi Mumbai International Airport. In October 2025, the Prime Minister inaugurated the first phase of Navi Mumbai International Airport, built to ease pressure on Mumbai's crowded main airport.
- Today: IndiGo, Air India to move 133 weekly flights
Exam notes (UPSC, SSC, Banking, PSC)
- Navi Mumbai International Airport is Mumbai's second airport; its first phase was inaugurated in October 2025.
- Mumbai's main airport is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
- An airport slot is permission to use a runway and terminal at a fixed time for a take-off or landing.
- The IATA northern summer schedule runs from late March to late October.
Likely exam question: Why are airlines moving flights from Mumbai's main airport to Navi Mumbai?