India’s two largest carriers within the Mumbai market have agreed a phased shift of operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) to enable the redevelopment of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) Terminal 1. The changes, planned over the coming months, are intended to create space for construction while preserving airlines’ long-term access to Mumbai’s primary airport.
What is moving and when
Air India Group and IndiGo will not move all services immediately but will transfer selected flights in stages. The Air India Group will begin shifting operations in December 2026, with Air India Express first moving a set of domestic sectors. IndiGo’s international flying from NMIA is expected to start in February 2027.
| carrier | what moves | start date |
|---|---|---|
| Air India Group (Air India Express) | four daily domestic flights initially; West Asia international services to follow (including Oman from January 2027; Kuwait subject to approvals) | December 2026 (domestic); January 2027 (Oman); later international sectors in phases |
| IndiGo | international operations staged from Navi Mumbai | February 2027 |
Scale and rationale
The relocation programme is part of a planned, phased redevelopment of CSMIA’s ageing Terminal 1. Under the first phase, approximately three million passengers will be moved to NMIA — about 60% of the five million passengers targeted for transfer in this stage. The operator has said only around 9% of CSMIA’s annual traffic of 55 million passengers will be temporarily relocated under the wider programme, with the remaining 91% continuing to be handled at Mumbai Airport.
The redevelopment aims to address safety concerns reported by experts, modernise infrastructure and raise Terminal 1’s annual handling capacity from 15 million to 20 million passengers — an increase of about 33%. Works will include upgraded passenger facilities, enhanced digital systems and improved processing infrastructure, and are planned to be carried out in phases enabled by the temporary transfers.
Operational and slot arrangements
- The airport operator has stated that affected airlines will retain their historical CSMIA slots, which will be restored once redevelopment is complete.
- The gradual move is intended to allow airlines to continue serving the Mumbai metropolitan region while NMIA builds its international and domestic connectivity.
- Air India Group’s phased transition is expected to cover West Asia sectors including Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah over time, with completion targeted by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.
Airport and airline planners face a sequence of operational tasks during the changeover: communicating altered airport call points to passengers, coordinating ground handling and transfer arrangements between the two airports, and updating schedules and sales channels as services move on sale or begin operating from NMIA.
The announced timetable gives a clear near-term window for when passengers and the travel trade should expect selected Mumbai flights to depart or arrive from Navi Mumbai, while the retention of historical slots at CSMIA preserves airlines’ strategic positions once Terminal 1 is brought back into full service.
