Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has opposed a plan to move flights to 14 international destinations from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport from next summer. The dispute is over how the Mumbai airport Terminal 1 redevelopment should be carried out.
He has written to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry suggesting a different sequence for rebuilding the ageing domestic terminal, according to reports on 10 and 11 November 2026.
The Mumbai airport Terminal 1 redevelopment plan
Terminal 1, which handles domestic flights, has a capacity of 15 million passengers per annum (mppa). Under the current plan, it is to be fully demolished by March 2028, with a new terminal likely ready by December 2030, the Free Press Journal reported.
To absorb about 5 mppa of domestic traffic displaced during the first phase, the operator plans to cut international operations at Terminal 2 by one-third from the Summer 2027 schedule. It has told airlines it cannot accommodate their requested Summer 2027 slots.
The operator also told the ministry it intends to move flights linking Mumbai with Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah to Navi Mumbai. India TV reported that partial shifting was first set for 25 October and later deferred to March 2027.
What Fadnavis has proposed
"I have written to them to first develop Terminal 1B, shift 1A to 1B and then take down the existing 1A terminal," Fadnavis said, as quoted by The Times of India and reported by the Free Press Journal. The idea is to keep T1 running until its replacement is ready.
India TV quoted him as saying there is no proposal to transfer flights from Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai, and that both airports would operate according to their capacities.
Airlines have resisted the shift. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged the ministry to adopt a phased redevelopment so that capacity is not lost all at once.
Who runs the airports
Adani Airport Holdings Ltd holds 74% of Mumbai airport and the Airports Authority of India holds 26%. India TV reported that the airport currently handles about 55 mppa and that capacity will rise to 65 mppa after T1 and T2 are redeveloped.
Separately, Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Akasa Air have announced, along with Adani Airport Holdings, that they will move international operations to Navi Mumbai in phases over the coming months, India TV reported.
What it means for you
For flyers, the outcome will decide whether flights to the Gulf, Dhaka, Kathmandu and Jakarta depart from Mumbai or Navi Mumbai from 2027, and how crowded T2 becomes during the rebuild.
For homebuyers and investors, the pace at which traffic moves to Navi Mumbai matters. Airport activity drives demand for offices, hotels and rental homes nearby, so any change to the timetable is worth tracking before buying on the strength of airport proximity. The final call rests with the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Sources
- Free Press Journal: Mumbai: Fadnavis Proposes Alternative Plan For Airport's T1 Redevelopment, Opposes Flight Shift To Navi Mumbai — published 10 November 2026.
- India TV: 'No flights will shift from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport': Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis — published 11 November 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Which flights could move from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport?
The operator's plan covered flights to 14 destinations: Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah.
When will Mumbai airport's new Terminal 1 be ready?
The Free Press Journal reported that the existing T1 is scheduled to be fully demolished by March 2028 and the new terminal is likely to be ready by December 2030.
What has CM Fadnavis proposed for Terminal 1?
He has suggested building Terminal 1B first, moving 1A's operations there, and only then demolishing the old 1A, so the terminal keeps working during construction.