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.
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