Couple of international airlines may opt not to fly from Mumbai for next 2

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While not naming the two airlines, Arun Bansal said discussions with the remaining airlines were expected to conclude over the next four months

By Avinash Nair

Updated - October 28, 2026 at 10:14 PM.

Arun Bansal, CEO, Adani Airports | Photo Credit: Venkatesan R 5375

A couple of international airlines may temporarily suspend their Mumbai services for next two years rather than shift operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport said Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) on Wednesday.

AAHL is not only preparing to redevelop Terminal 1 at Mumbai from April 2027, but is also planning a capacity addition at T2 terminal as part of a broader plan to expand capacity at its airports in Mumbai. 

“The timeline for demolition of T1 is fixed. We will start from the summer schedule which is April 2027. So certain airlines will have to make a choice — either they move to Navi Mumbai or temporarily stop flying to Mumbai,” Arun Bansal, CEO of AAHL said during Adani Enterprises’ earnings call on Wednesday. The operator is in discussions with airlines to move their operations to Navi Mumbai.

Passenger Count

“There might be one or two airlines who may decide to not operate from Mumbai for a couple of years but that will have almost no impact on passenger count,” he said, adding that discussions with the remaining airlines were expected to conclude over the next four months. 

Bansal did not name the airlines that could suspend services. The comments highlight the challenge of managing airline operations and passenger traffic during the redevelopment of an established airport terminal, as AAHL seeks to shift more traffic to Navi Mumbai.

The airport operator is banking on Navi Mumbai to absorb the transition. The new airport began commercial international operations on July 26, and airlines have started announcing additional international connections.

Traffic Transfer

IndiGo has announced 12 new international routes from Navi Mumbai between December and April, while the Air India Group has announced seven. Along with an existing international route of Akasa Air, these additions will take the number of international routes to 19. 

Bansal said the company was also seeing proportional growth in domestic operations and was confident of ending FY28 with Navi Mumbai operating at its peak capacity of 20 million passengers annually, comprising 15 million domestic and five million international passengers.

“This Sunday and Monday, between three domestic carriers, we have announced 18 international flights from existing Mumbai to Navi Mumbai that roughly cater to a volume of 3 million,” he said, adding that the company was in discussions with more airlines to facilitate the transfer of traffic.

Adani group wants to shift five million passengers from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai from summer schedule. In the meeting airlines insisted that terminal 1 redevelopment should be done in a phased manner like done in case of terminal 2 earlier.

Airlines also opposed unilateral reduction of slots from next summer schedule.

At a consultation meeting on Wednesday Adani group officials made a presentation on facilities at Navi Mumbai and asked airlines to share their transition plans by November 3. Airlines however have sought more time as they continue resist shifting of operations.

Terminal-2

The Phase 2 of Navi Mumbai airport development is also moving ahead, with an international consultant on board and design work underway for Terminal-2. The general contractor is being finalised, and construction is expected to begin in November.

Beyond Navi Mumbai, AAHL is preparing for a significant investment cycle across its airport portfolio through 2030. The company is building a new integrated terminal at Ahmedabad ahead of the city’s hosting of the Commonwealth Games in October 2030, while planning a new Terminal 2 at Navi Mumbai and a redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai. 

Other projects include capacity additions at Terminal 2 in Mumbai, expansion at Thiruvananthapuram airport and a new terminal at Jaipur. “There are a lot of heavy capex items which are work in progress from now until 2030,” Bansal said.

Hotel Deals

The company has also signed hotel management agreements with partners for projects at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Guwahati.

Work is underway at these five locations, with the Ahmedabad hotel expected to be operational by October 2029 and the Mumbai and Navi Mumbai hotels by March 2030.

Work on a hotel project in Jaipur is expected to begin soon. AAHL incurred capital expenditure of ₹4,245 crore in the first half of FY27, following investments of ₹13,059 crore in FY26 and ₹10,887 crore in FY25.

Alongside expanding passenger-handling capacity, AAHL is seeking to increase revenue from non-aeronautical businesses, including duty-free shopping, food and beverages, lounges, retail, ground handling, parking and passenger services. 

Non-aeronautical revenue rose to ₹4,371 crore in H1 FY27 from ₹2,823 crore in the year-ago period. The growth was supported partly by the ramp-up at Navi Mumbai, which had no non-aeronautical revenue in the corresponding period last year, as well as contributions from ground-handling services.

Bansal said the company’s non-aeronautical strategy rests on three priorities: digitalisation, increasing customer penetration and moving towards premium retail offerings. The company has revamped its Adani One app to focus exclusively on airports, helping drive greater digital engagement and increase the average transaction value per passenger.

“This quarter we had almost 25 percent of non-aero transactions happen over digital,” Bansal said. The company is also bringing new lounges into its airports and upgrading retail offerings to improve the passenger experience and monetisation opportunities. 

The initial ramp-up at Navi Mumbai has provided an additional boost to non-aeronautical revenue, while the company expects digital adoption and premiumisation to support growth across its wider airport network.

With inputs from Aneesh Phadnis

Published on October 28, 2026

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