Navi Mumbai airport flights news: These two airlines set to shift flights from Mumbai airport starting December
IndiGo and Air India Express are preparing to move selected flights from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in a phased manner starting in December 2026. The shift comes as Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) readies CSMIA’s Terminal 1 for redevelopment, which is expected to require capacity adjustments by 2030.
The joint announcements, made with the airport operator on October 25, aim to redistribute traffic across Mumbai’s dual-airport system while preserving airlines’ historical slots at CSMIA. The moves are intended to ease congestion at the existing airport and support growing passenger demand in the Mumbai metropolitan region.
CSMIA has long faced capacity constraints. Terminal 1 redevelopment is part of a broader plan to modernise the airport while keeping operations running. By shifting a portion of flights to NMIA, which began commercial operations in December 2025, the airlines and AAHL can free up space at CSMIA without forcing sudden disruptions for passengers.
According to the joint statement issued by IndiGo and Adani Airport Holdings, “The phased transition is intended to support a transparent, equitable and proportionate rebalancing of capacity across Mumbai’s dual airport system, taking into account each airline’s presence at CSMIA.”
The companies said the approach would provide greater planning certainty for airlines and passengers while minimising operational disruption. Any further adjustments needed for Terminal 1 work at CSMIA are expected to be handled at Terminal 2.
IndiGo plans to begin international operations from NMIA in February 2027. The airline will progressively transfer 12 daily international departures currently operating from CSMIA. These cover existing services to Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta.
IndiGo will also introduce a daily service to Kathmandu. With this addition, the airline expects to serve 12 international destinations from NMIA between February and July 2027. Notably, it will shift supporting domestic flights as well so that passengers can make onward connections at the new airport. Specific transfer dates will be announced once coordination and operating approvals are complete.
Air India Express will begin the transition earlier. The airline plans to operate four daily domestic flights from NMIA starting in December 2026. From January 2027, it intends to move existing services to Oman and launch planned services to Kuwait, subject to the required regulatory approvals for Kuwait.
The Air India Group will also progressively shift Air India Express flights to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah to NMIA. The process is expected to be completed by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season. Operating from both airports will allow the group to retain its historical slots at CSMIA while continuing to serve the market.
The transfers mark a significant step in building NMIA as a complementary hub. By redistributing selected domestic and West Asia routes, the airlines free capacity at CSMIA for potential new long-haul services. For passengers, the change means some flights currently departing from Mumbai will move to Navi Mumbai over the coming months, with clear timelines already outlined for the initial phases.
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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