IndiGo to move 12 international flights to Navi Mumbai, free up Mumbai airport

IndiGo plans to shift 12 daily international departures from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport from February 2027, after a broader transfer plan was deferred following opposition from airlines.The phased move will cover all its existing services from CSMIA to Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta.A new daily Kathmandu service will take IndiGo’s international network at Navi Mumbai to 12 destinations between February and July 2027, the airline and Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) said in a joint statement.Some domestic flights will also shift to provide connections for international passengers. The companies are finalising arrangements for transfers between domestic and international services. Final dates and schedules will be announced once coordination is complete and operating approvals are secured.The transfer will free up capacity at CSMIA for IndiGo to launch international services across Asia, Africa and Europe in 2027 using its expanding A320, A321 and A321XLR fleet, the joint statement said. Shifting some domestic flights will also help accommodate capacity cuts needed for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 by 2030, it added.EARLIER TRANSFER PLAN WAS DEFERREDMumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), which operates CSMIA, had proposed moving 265 of its 770 weekly international departures to Navi Mumbai from October 25, affecting around 46 airlines.The shift was intended to ease congestion at CSMIA and free up capacity for the redevelopment of its ageing Terminal 1.Airlines raised concerns over passenger convenience, schedules, capacity and consultation. The Civil Aviation Ministry asked MIAL to defer the move and work out an agreed transition.On October 13, MIAL said existing international flight allocations would remain unchanged through the winter schedule, which ends on March 27, 2027. Subsequent transfers would follow consultations with individual airlines, it added.NAVI MUMBAI OPERATIONS BEGAN IN DECEMBER 2025Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Phase 1 of Navi Mumbai International Airport in October 2025. It was built at a cost of around Rs 19,650 crore.Commercial operations began on December 25, 2025, with IndiGo operating the first arrival from Bengaluru and first departure to Hyderabad. International flights began on July 15, 2026, with an Air India Express service to Abu Dhabi.The airport’s planned layout includes four terminals and two parallel runways, with an Automated People Mover connecting the terminals. It also includes storage infrastructure for sustainable aviation fuel.The Adani Group controls both airports. AAHL owns 74 per cent of MIAL, which in turn holds a 74 per cent stake in Navi Mumbai International Airport Limited.- Ends