Global airline trade body IATA has written to India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation objecting to Mumbai International Airport Limited’s (MIAL) directive that carriers relocate roughly 33 % of their international operations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) with effect from 1 October 2026. In a letter seen by Business Standard and confirmed by two airline sources, IATA said the proposal was “neither consultative nor in line with global slot-coordination best practice” and warned of potential schedule disruptions. MIAL argues the shift is essential because Terminal 1 at BOM will shut on 25 October for a three-year redevelopment, intensifying congestion at Terminal 2. IATA counters that NMI’s readiness for long-haul operations, including ground-handling equipment, catering infrastructure and CAT III navigational aids, remains unproven. Carriers fear unplanned costs for crew accommodation, bussing passengers 45 km between airports, and possible bilateral-agreement complications because NMI has yet to be designated an international gateway by several partner states. Airline network planners say October-March is peak traffic season for the India-Middle East-Europe corridor. A last-minute terminal or airport switch would trigger mass re-issuance of tickets, GDS updates and slot swaps in interconnected systems. Estimates suggest up to 5 million passengers annually could be affected if the plan proceeds unchanged. Corporate-travel managers with operations in India’s commercial capital should immediately audit Q4 and Q1 2027 bookings to verify airport codes (BOM vs NMI) and terminal allocations. Duty-of-care teams must update ground-transport policies, hotel allotments and immigration briefings, as NMI’s e-visa kiosks and priority-lane facilities are still in soft-launch mode. HR leaders should also communicate the possibility of lengthier transit times from downtown Mumbai (South Mumbai–NMI can exceed 90 minutes in peak traffic). Civil-aviation analysts expect the Ministry to convene an urgent stakeholder meeting next week. A phased transfer—starting with selected domestic flights—may be negotiated, but with redevelopment deadlines looming, some level of forced migration now appears inevitable.
Source: Business Standard
