MIAL proposes shifting 5 million international passengers out of Mumbai airport in phases for T1 rebuild

Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has proposed the redevelopment of Terminal 1 (T1) at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Under the proposal, 5 million international passengers a year (5 million per annum, or mppa) will be shifted out of CSMIA in phases. The shift is slated for the Northern Summer 2027 season.

The airport operator has asked airlines to submit their transition plans by November 3, 2026. The proposal was put forward at a meeting between MIAL and the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) on Wednesday. The meeting was part of an ongoing discussion on a two-airport strategy for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

According to MIAL, IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Air have confirmed plans to move their international flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Together, these three carriers account for about 3 million passengers a year. To reach the overall target of 5 million, MIAL has proposed temporarily removing the remaining slots from CSMIA's Terminal 2 in the Northern Summer 2027 (NS27) season.

MIAL reiterated that Terminal 1 must be demolished and rebuilt. According to the company, the project is more than nine years behind schedule. It cited structural audit reports by Structwel in 2017 and IIT Bombay in 2024, both of which stressed the need for redevelopment.

CSMIA's current capacity is about 55 million passengers a year. MIAL says that even after 5 million passengers a year are temporarily shifted, about 91 per cent of the airport's existing traffic will remain unaffected. The company also said that once the redevelopment of Terminals 1 and 2 is complete, CSMIA's total capacity will rise to 65 million passengers a year.

MIAL said the demolition of Terminal 1 and the resulting temporary dip in CSMIA's traffic have already been factored into the tariff order approved after consultation with stakeholders. The company also shared the vision plan for the redeveloped Terminal 1.

The airport operator has assured airlines that the international traffic temporarily shifted will be brought back to CSMIA once the expansion of Terminal 1 is complete. According to MIAL, the aim of the phased transition is to put passenger safety first and keep disruption to operations to a minimum during the redevelopment.