C-SUITE SPECTATE ↗THURSDAY 29 OCTOBER 2026THU 29 OCTINDIA EDITIONNEWSLETTERSADVERTISE
SIGN IN ▾
BUSINESS NEWS2 MIN READ

IndiGo and Air India Express to shift Gulf and Asia flights from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport in phases, as Terminal 1 is rebuilt

IndiGo will move 12 daily international departures. About 91% of Mumbai airport traffic stays at the existing airport during the redevelopment.

By Spectate Media desk
Spectate Media graphic: Mumbai airport Terminal 1 capacity before and after redevelopment, and Navi Mumbai airport design capacity, in millions of passengers a year

IndiGo and the Air India Group plan to move part of their international operations from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in phases through the 2027 summer season, according to a PTI report carried by Business Standard on 25 October 2026. The move follows about 18 months of consultations with Adani Airport Holdings, which runs both airports. Spectate Media has not seen the joint statement and relies on the PTI report.

What each airline is moving

IndiGo will shift 12 daily international departures. The report lists Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta, and adds a daily Kathmandu service, bringing its NMIA international network to 12 destinations between February and July 2027. Supporting domestic connections will also move. Final dates depend on coordination and operating approvals, and IndiGo will announce them later. Air India Express will move services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah, with the transition expected to finish by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.

Why Terminal 1 is being rebuilt

CSMIA's Terminal 1 redevelopment would lift annual passenger capacity by about a third, from 15 million to 20 million, and is targeted for 2030. The first phase aims to move about 5 million passengers to NMIA, of which about 3 million are covered by this transfer. CSMIA handles about 55 million passengers a year, and about 91% of its traffic will stay there during the work. Airlines keep their historical CSMIA slots, which Adani says will be restored after the redevelopment.

Navi Mumbai's role

NMIA has an initial design capacity of 20 million passengers a year, with a planned expansion to 90 million. IndiGo says capacity freed at CSMIA will support new services to Asia, Africa and Europe in 2027 using A320, A321 and A321XLR aircraft.

Conflicting details

The report's text says the shift begins in December, while its web address and the February to July 2027 window point to February. It also says 12 daily departures but lists 11 destinations before adding Kathmandu. Spectate Media has used the figures as reported and flags both points.

Key numbers

  • IndiGo, daily departures moving: 12 (To Navi Mumbai)
  • Terminal 1 capacity: 15 → 20 million (Passengers a year, target 2030)
  • CSMIA traffic unaffected: About 91% (Of about 55 million a year)
  • Navi Mumbai design capacity: 20 million (Planned expansion to 90 million)

What boards and CFOs should note

Three points. First, the move is phased and conditional on approvals, so dates may shift. Second, airlines retain their Mumbai slots, which limits the commercial risk of splitting operations. Third, about 9 in 10 current Mumbai passengers are unaffected during the rebuild.

Source: Business Standard (PTI), 25 October 2026. This is a summary of a news report, published as general information. It is not legal, tax or investment advice.

This article is journalism and commentary. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security, and it is not professional advice. Read the full disclaimer.

UP NEXTFortis buys Bengaluru's Suguna Hospital for about ₹277 croreRead the next story →

KEEP READING

THE WEEKLY BRIEF

What moved this week, and what it means for your board.

One email every Friday. Unsubscribe in one click.