Mumbai airport plans to shift 14 international routes to Navi Mumbai, facing resistance from foreign airlines over connectivity, capacity cuts, and competition.
While Indian carriers Air India Express, IndiGo, and Akasa have announced plans to shift flights to 14 overseas destinations from the summer schedule, foreign airlines are resisting the move to Navi Mumbai | Photo Credit: Indranil Aditya
Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) plans to shift all flights to 11 destinations in West Asia, as well as Dhaka, Kathmandu and Jakarta, to Navi Mumbai airport.
This will ensure that all flights serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region operate from a single airport, MIAL Chief Airport Officer Vishnu Mohan Jha said in a letter to the Civil Aviation Ministry dated October 30.
While Indian carriers Air India Express, IndiGo, and Akasa have announced plans to shift flights to 14 overseas destinations from the summer schedule, foreign airlines are resisting the move to Navi Mumbai.
In his letter, Jha said the move would ensure seamless onward connections, minimise passenger inconvenience and provide an integrated travel experience. It would also ensure a transparent, equitable and operationally efficient transition for all stakeholders, he added.
An airline source said Mumbai airport may have proposed the plan at the behest of domestic carriers.
“If foreign airlines continue to operate flights to 14 destinations from Mumbai, they would have an advantage, given that it is an established airport with wider connections,” he said.
Last week, the Airline Operators Committee wrote to the Ministry, expressing concern over the airport’s plan to reduce capacity by five million in the summer schedule. The committee opposed the unilateral capacity reduction and demanded that airlines’ slots be protected in the summer schedule.
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