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The reports did not say whether the October 25 date for the Terminal 2 cuts has been formally withdrawn.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