Air India and IndiGo to shift Mumbai international flights to Navi Mumbai

Major Indian carriers IndiGo and the Air India Group have agreed to a phased relocation of international flight operations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The transition, scheduled to occur between January and the summer of 2027, is designed to facilitate the necessary redevelopment and modernization of Terminal 1 at Mumbai’s existing airport.

IndiGo plans to transfer approximately 36% of its current weekly international departures—totaling 84 flights—to NMIA, serving destinations such as Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Muscat, and Jakarta. The Air India Group will relocate roughly 34% of its international departures, including services to Doha, Sharjah, and several West Asian cities. Air India Express is expected to begin operations at NMIA with four daily domestic flights in December 2026, followed by international routes starting in January 2027.

The shift aims to support Mumbai’s dual-airport system and accommodate the expansion of regional aviation infrastructure. While domestic carriers have accepted the relocation strategy to support the Terminal 1 upgrade, some foreign airlines, including Emirates and Air France-KLM, have expressed concerns regarding the split-airport operations.