Civil Aviation Ministry Extends Deadline for Adani's Airport Transition Plan
The Ministry of Civil Aviation intervenes to delay proposed cuts in international flight slots at Mumbai's Terminal 2 until October 20.
Adani Airports must finalize a transition plan by October 20.
265 international departure slots at Terminal 2 are at risk of reduction.
Airlines argue the proposed timeline for changes is too aggressive.
In a significant move, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has intervened to halt Adani Airports' plans to reduce international flight operations at Mumbai's Terminal 2. Airlines and the airport operator now have until October 20 to develop a transition plan for the redevelopment of Terminal 1, which is crucial for accommodating increased passenger traffic.
The intervention comes in response to strong opposition from various airlines regarding Mumbai International Airport Ltd's (MIAL) proposal to cut 265 out of 770 weekly international departure slots starting October 26. This reduction, amounting to approximately 34% of the slots, would impact 46 airlines, with IndiGo facing the largest cuts of 74 slots, followed by Air India with 33, and both Emirates and Etihad Airways with 10 each.
MIAL has justified the proposed cuts as necessary to reallocate Terminal 2's facilities for domestic operations that will be moving from Terminal 1 during its phased redevelopment. This transition aims to accommodate an additional five million passengers annually. However, airlines have expressed concerns that the timeline for these changes is overly ambitious and operationally challenging to implement.
The civil aviation ministry has urged Adani Airports, airlines, and other stakeholders to reconvene and devise a mutually agreeable transition plan. Additionally, the ministry has instructed Adani Airports to submit a request for the Major Development Plan concerning Terminal 1's redevelopment, which is essential for progressing with the overall restructuring of airport operations.
To facilitate discussions, Adani Airports has scheduled a new stakeholder meeting for October 13. The ministry's deadline of October 20 provides airlines with extra time to evaluate their operational needs and formulate a coordinated response to the proposed changes. This dispute is part of a broader reshuffle of operations at Mumbai's airport, with domestic traffic from Terminal 1 set to shift to Terminal 2, while some international services may eventually relocate to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport, a move opposed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
