Fadnavis proposes building new Mumbai airport Terminal 1 before demolishing the old one

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has proposed that Terminal 1 (T1) of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) be redeveloped in phases. He has suggested that the existing terminal stay in operation until a new terminal is ready to replace it, so that flight services are not disrupted.

In a letter to the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Fadnavis has suggested an alternative sequence of construction under which the new terminal would be built before the old one is demolished.

A senior official of the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said: "The idea is that both works go on together, so that there is no need to divert or cancel flights."

Under the proposed plan, Terminal 1B would be built first. Once it is complete, operations of Terminal 1A would be shifted to the new facility. Terminal 1A would then be demolished and rebuilt. The redevelopment would thus happen in stages, and the existing terminal would not have to be closed before the new one is ready. The aim of the proposal is to keep flights running during construction and to avoid diverting or cancelling services.

Terminal 1 was commissioned in 1964. It is being redeveloped in view of concerns about its structure and safety, which emerged in a 2017 audit by Structwel and a 2024 audit by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay. These assessments said the old structure should be replaced by a modern terminal that can handle rising passenger traffic and meet current operational needs.

After redevelopment, Terminal 1's passenger capacity is expected to rise from 15 million (15 MPPA) a year to 20 million (20 MPPA) a year, an increase of about 33 per cent. The new facility will also improve passenger processing, security checks and other airport infrastructure. The target is to make it operational by March 2029.

Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) had earlier planned to shift some international flights elsewhere from October 25, 2026. After objections from several foreign airlines, the deadline was extended to March 2027.

Two weeks ago, representatives of more than 35 airlines met Mumbai airport officials. The meeting discussed a plan to move some international flights from CSMIA to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). According to sources, the meeting discussed transition arrangements, and MIAL presented a detailed schedule for the redevelopment of Terminal 1.

The Chief Minister's proposal is an alternative to the current plan, as it gives priority to building the replacement facility before the existing terminal is demolished. If approved, flights could continue at the airport during redevelopment. It could also ease concerns about the impact on operations of moving more international services to NMIA during construction.