India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked Adani Airport Holdings (AAHL) to suspend its proposal to relocate 265 weekly international departures from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The directive, issued during a stakeholder meeting on 6 October, follows strong push-back from Indian and foreign airlines over operational and commercial risks. AAHL, which operates both airports, wants to free up Terminal 2 capacity at CSMIA so that Terminal 1 can close for redevelopment. Airlines argued that splitting international and domestic banks across two airports 40 km apart would break through-ticketing, dilute minimum-connection times and require costly duplication of crews, ground-handling contracts and premium lounges. The ministry has convened a follow-up session on 13 October to draft a revised transition roadmap, with a final decision due by 20 October. Until then, carriers may retain all international operations at CSMIA, averting the need to re-file slot requests for the IATA winter season starting 29 October. For mobility programmes, the pause removes near-term uncertainty over which airport assignees should use when flying into India’s financial capital. Employers should continue to brief travellers to check their booking references but need not revise ground-transport contracts or reassess allowances for early-morning connections. Longer term, if NMIA becomes Mumbai’s primary long-haul gateway, companies may need to recalibrate office-location strategy, temporary housing and driver services on the eastern side of the metropolis. The ministry’s intervention underscores the importance of early, transparent consultation when major infrastructure shifts affect international mobility flows.
Source: Moneycontrol
