Mumbai Airport Retains International Flight Slots for Winter 2023
Mumbai airport will maintain its international flight schedule through winter, avoiding cuts initially proposed for redevelopment.
Mumbai airport will not reduce international flight slots during the winter schedule.
Plans for slot reductions were linked to the redevelopment of Terminal 1, set to begin in January.
A joint working group will finalize the redevelopment plan within two weeks.
MUMBAI: The operator of Mumbai airport announced on Tuesday that there will be no reductions in international flight slots during the winter schedule, which spans from October 25 to the end of March. This decision comes as a relief to passengers who have booked international flights, ensuring that their travel plans will not be disrupted by cancellations or relocations to Navi Mumbai airport.
The announcement effectively resolves a conflict regarding the airport operator's earlier proposal to cut a third of international departures this winter. This plan was intended to accommodate domestic flights displaced by the upcoming redevelopment of Terminal 1, scheduled to commence in mid-January. A spokesperson for Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) confirmed that airlines are committed to supporting the redevelopment efforts, with potential adjustments to flight schedules expected in the summer.
The decision to maintain the winter flight schedule was reached following discussions between the airline operators' committee and Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), which manages both Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports. AAHL's director, Jeet Adani, along with CEO Arun Bansal, assured airline representatives that there would be minimal disruptions and that historical slot allocations would be respected. The spokesperson emphasized that no slots would be disturbed during the winter period.
MIAL indicated that a joint working group would be formed to devise an implementation plan for the redevelopment of the aging Terminal 1, which currently serves approximately 15 million domestic passengers annually. As for the anticipated “traffic balancing” during the summer schedule, MIAL expressed its commitment to assist any airline that wishes to shift operations to Navi Mumbai airport. Further discussions are scheduled for October 28 to engage with each airline's network and slot teams.
The recent decision follows intervention from the Ministry of Civil Aviation, which became involved after MIAL's October 1 letter proposed a temporary reduction of 265 out of 770 weekly international departure slots. This initial proposal would have impacted 46 airlines, resulting in the cancellation of around 38 international flights daily. The current resolution aims to ensure smoother operations at Mumbai airport while accommodating necessary redevelopment efforts.
