Airlines

India targets 350 airports by 2047, boosts UDAN with Rs 28,840 crore

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has outlined plans to expand India’s airports from 166 to 350 by 2047, backed by a Rs 28,840 crore extension of the UDAN scheme.

Published

2 months ago

August 24, 2026

Dailyviewer

India is targeting an expansion of its airport network from 166 to 350 by 2047, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu has said, as part of the government’s Viksit Bharat vision.

The government will spend Rs 28,840 crore over the next decade to build 100 new airports, with the UDAN regional connectivity scheme extended for another 10 years to support the plan.

Naidu also said a ‘Make in India’ aircraft could become a reality within two years, pointing to the C295 turboprop aircraft already being manufactured in Vadodara, Gujarat, with a civil version in development.

The minister flagged a growing pilot shortage as a key challenge, with India’s 63 existing Flying Training Organisations producing around 1,625 pilots annually against a requirement of roughly 2,500.

With more than 1,700 aircraft on order across Indian airlines, the government estimates the country will need close to 30,000 additional pilots over the next decade.

To address the gap, the government has approved 11 new Flying Training Organisations, with six more under review, alongside a new grading system aimed at improving training standards.

With more than 1,700 aircraft on order across Indian carriers, the government estimates the country will need close to 30,000 additional pilots over the next decade.

The government has approved 11 new Flying Training Organisations, with six more currently under review, alongside a new grading system intended to raise training standards across the sector.

India currently has 166 operational airports, up from 74 in 2014, and the government wants to more than double that number by 2047.

UDAN, the regional connectivity scheme aimed at making air travel affordable for smaller cities, has been extended for a further 10 years as part of this push.

On the manufacturing side, the minister said a ‘Make in India’ aircraft could become a reality within two years, pointing to the C295 turboprop already being manufactured in Vadodara, Gujarat.

Photo by Ashish Bhatnagar, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Airlines

Mumbai airport slot cuts: What happens next for passengers

After a meeting on October 6, the Civil Aviation Ministry asked Adani Airports and airlines to finalise a transition plan by October 20 and suggested delaying the shift of international flights from Mumbai airport by a few weeks.

Published

1 day ago

October 7, 2026

Dailyviewer

The proposed cut of 265 weekly international slots from October 25 is under discussion.

The ministry suggested a delay of a few weeks.

Airlines and Adani will meet on October 13 and October 20.

No final plan has been announced.

Passengers should watch for airline notices.

The ministry suggested delaying the proposed partial shifting of international flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport by a few weeks.

It asked Adani Airports, airlines and other stakeholders to work out an agreeable, win-win transition plan.

Airlines and Adani Airport Holdings will meet on October 13, followed by another meeting on October 20 to finalise the plan, according to Millennium Post.

The ministry also directed Adani Airports to submit its request for the Major Development Plan for the redevelopment of Terminal 1.

The Major Development Plan is a key requirement for taking the wider redevelopment exercise forward.

BW Businessworld reported that the government has put Adani Airports’ Terminal 1 plan on hold.

Adani Airport Holdings had asked airlines to cut 33% of international flights from Mumbai or discontinue them by October 25.

The proposal was to suspend 265 of 770 weekly international departures at Terminal 2.

The operator said the reduction is needed to free up check-in counters, baggage belts, gates and office space at Terminal 2 for domestic operations moving from Terminal 1.

Airlines opposed the proposed timeline, arguing that the changes would be hard to implement operationally and need more time for planning.

IATA has called the plan forceful relocation and said any move should be based on airlines’ choice.

Adani executives outlined the preparedness of Navi Mumbai airport to handle up to 5 million international passengers a year, according to Millennium Post.

Skift reported that the airlines got more time, but the move to Navi Mumbai is still coming.

The reports did not say whether the October 25 date for the Terminal 2 cuts has been formally withdrawn.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Airlines

Mumbai airport slot cuts: What passengers should know

The Civil Aviation Ministry met airlines and Adani Airports on October 6 over the proposal to cut 265 of 770 weekly international slots at Mumbai’s Terminal 2 from October 25, which airlines and IATA have opposed.

Published

3 days ago

October 6, 2026

Dailyviewer

Adani has proposed cutting 265 of 770 weekly international slots at Terminal 2 from October 25.

Airlines can cut flights or move them to Navi Mumbai.

About 5 million of Mumbai’s 55 million annual passengers would be temporarily affected by the Terminal 1 work.

The Civil Aviation Ministry met airlines and Adani on October 6.

No outcome has been announced.

The cuts would affect 46 airlines.

The freed-up capacity at Terminal 2 would be used to accommodate domestic traffic shifted from Terminal 1, which is being redeveloped.

Airlines are to either cut flights or relocate them to Navi Mumbai airport.

About 5 million of Mumbai’s 55 million annual passengers, around 9%, would be temporarily affected by the Terminal 1 work, according to Daily Excelsior.

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, has opposed what it calls forceful relocation.

IATA has said the move should be based on market forces and airlines’ choice and not on mandated relocations.

TradingView, citing Moody’s, reported that airlines rejected the proposal on Friday and repeated their opposition on Sunday.

LatestLY reported that airlines were reluctant to move operations to Navi Mumbai.

As incentives, Adani has offered a one-year waiver on landing charges at Navi Mumbai and cash vouchers to international passengers to offset fee differences, according to Daily Excelsior.

Adani has cited the age of Terminal 1 and an April fire incident, saying the risks of continuing operations have become more pronounced.

The reports available on October 6 did not include the outcome of the meeting.

The first reports of the proposal came on October 3, when the airport operator asked airlines to name the slots to be dropped by 4 pm on October 6.

A slot is the approved time at which an airline may take off from or land at an airport.

Navi Mumbai International Airport began international operations in July 2026, when Air India Express started flights to Abu Dhabi.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Airlines

Mumbai T2 international capacity to fall 33% from October 25 if cuts go ahead

Mumbai International Airport Ltd has threatened to cut 265 of 770 weekly international departure slots at Terminal 2 from October 25, citing the Terminal 1 redevelopment, and has asked airlines to name the slots by 4 pm on October 6.

Published

6 days ago

October 3, 2026

Dailyviewer

International departure capacity at Terminal 2 of Mumbai airport would fall by about 33% from October 25 if the cuts go ahead.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd has threatened to discontinue 265 of 770 weekly slots.

The cuts would affect 46 airlines.

The airport operator cited the Terminal 1 redevelopment.

Airlines have until October 6 to respond.

The redevelopment requires moving about 5 million passengers a year from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2.

IndiGo faces a cut of 74 weekly slots and Air India 33.

Emirates and Etihad Airways each face a cut of 10 weekly departures.

Akasa Air faces a cut of 11 slots, Air India Express 7 and SpiceJet 5.

MIAL has asked airlines to identify the specific departure slots they want to discontinue by 4 pm on October 6.

For airlines that do not respond, MIAL will decide the cuts itself.

The International Air Transport Association, or IATA, has opposed compulsory airline relocations.

IATA has argued for voluntary transfers and for protecting existing slot entitlements during the transition.

A slot is the approved time at which an airline may take off from or land at an airport.

The reports did not include a direct statement from the government or the airlines on the proposed cut.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, and Terminal 2 opened in 2014.

October 25, 2026 is the last Sunday of October, the date on which the northern winter flight schedule normally begins.

Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, IndiGo and SpiceJet are Indian carriers, while Emirates and Etihad Airways are Gulf carriers.

The cuts are proposed on weekly international departure slots, which means the figures describe flights each week, not a single day.

IATA is the trade body that represents airlines worldwide.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd, or MIAL, has threatened to temporarily discontinue 265 weekly international departure slots at Terminal 2 from October 25, 2026.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai (file image), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0