No Mumbai airport flight will move to Navi Mumbai, Fadnavis says, sends alternative Terminal-1 plan

The state government has made its position clear in the debate over the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has said that not a single flight from Mumbai airport will be sent to Navi Mumbai International Airport.

According to the Chief Minister, there is no plan to move Mumbai airport's flights to the Navi Mumbai airport. The two airports will operate separately, each working according to its own capacity. He has written to the Union civil aviation minister on the matter.

In the letter, Fadnavis has also suggested a second blueprint for the redevelopment of Terminal-1 at Mumbai airport. This makes it clear that the state government is pressing for redevelopment in phases rather than sending flights elsewhere.

Under Fadnavis's proposal, Terminal-1B would be built first. Flights from the currently operating Terminal-1A would then be moved to the new Terminal-1B. Once Terminal-1A is completely vacated, it would be demolished and redeveloped. This approach would allow the airport to expand without shutting down the old terminal's operations entirely. It could also help avoid inconvenience to passengers and additional burden on airlines.

Meanwhile, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which runs Mumbai airport, had proposed changing the plan for international flights for the redevelopment of Terminal-1. Under that plan, flights between Mumbai and 14 international cities were to be shifted to Navi Mumbai airport.

The cities included Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah. The change was proposed to take effect from the Summer Schedule 2027. However, several airlines had opposed the proposal. Concern was also raised that, if airports were changed, passengers might have to travel between the two airports to catch connecting flights.

The Chief Minister's alternative proposal is now under consideration by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. Passengers and airlines are watching for the final decision.