IndiGo, Air India Group to move select flights to NMIA

IndiGo and the Air India Group will gradually transfer selected domestic and international flights from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), allowing redevelopment work at CSMIA's Terminal 1 to proceed and supporting Mumbai's two-airport system.

Air India said the group will begin shifting some of its West Asia services to NMIA in phases. Air India Express will operate four daily domestic flights from December 2026, followed by planned services to Kuwait and existing services to Oman from January 2027.

The Air India Group will gradually shift Air India Express services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah to NMIA, with the transition expected to be completed by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.

Air India said the transition follows continued engagement with the airport operator and aligns with the wider airport transition programme for domestic and international airlines. It will support the long-awaited redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1 and the development of Mumbai's dual-airport system, while allowing the Air India Group to continue serving the market efficiently and preserve the historical value of its existing slots at CSMIA.

Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) welcomed the Air India Group's plans to begin operations from NMIA. Air India said that the transition of services to Kuwait from NMIA is subject to the requisite approvals.

IndiGo to shift 12 daily international departures to NMIA from 2027

IndiGo and AAHL jointly announced that they are in the final stages of preparing for IndiGo to begin international operations from NMIA in February 2027, with plans to expand its presence gradually thereafter.

As part of its expansion at NMIA, IndiGo will gradually transfer 12 daily international departures from CSMIA to NMIA. These flights currently serve Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta. IndiGo will also introduce an additional daily service to Kathmandu, bringing its international network at NMIA to 12 destinations between February and July 2027.

IndiGo will also shift the necessary domestic connections from CSMIA to NMIA to support these international services and ensure seamless onward connections for passengers.

IndiGo and AAHL said they have been working closely to develop the necessary infrastructure at NMIA to ensure smooth and efficient transfers between IndiGo’s domestic and international services. The move marks the next phase of IndiGo’s expansion strategy to establish NMIA as a long-term international hub.

IndiGo and AAHL said the capacity shift at CSMIA would support two additional objectives. First, it would create room for IndiGo to expand its international network in 2027, with new services across Asia, Africa and Europe using its growing fleet of A320/A321 aircraft and A321XLRs, without adding pressure to the capacity-constrained airport.

Second, the associated transfer of domestic operations would support IndiGo's share of the capacity reductions required for the redevelopment of CSMIA's Terminal 1 by 2030. The two companies will continue working together to accommodate any further adjustments to IndiGo's operations at Terminal 1 in Terminal 2 to facilitate the redevelopment.

IndiGo said it will announce the final dates for shifting services to NMIA and introducing new services at CSMIA once project coordination is complete and the relevant operating approvals have been secured.

Notably, the development comes amid a dispute between AAHL and airlines over the proposed transfer of international flights from Mumbai's CSMIA to NMIA.

In an earlier communication to the Airline Operators Committee (AOC), which represents airlines operating at CSMIA, Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) reiterated that the airport's annual passenger capacity would be reduced by around five million from the Summer 2027 schedule, when Terminal 1 (T1) closes for redevelopment.

AAHL said individual airlines would have full discretion over their international operations during this period. They could voluntarily shift some weekly international flights to NMIA, temporarily suspend services until the redevelopment of T1 is complete, or consider other alternatives.

Ahead of the next stakeholder meeting scheduled for Wednesday, 28 October 2026, airlines continue to seek clarity on the timeline for Terminal 1's redevelopment, terminal-wise capacity and alternatives to the proposed traffic reallocation plan.