Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport operator and airlines have agreed to work towards a phased plan for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 (T1), with a follow-up meeting scheduled for October 28 to review the implementation strategy.
The discussions took place on October 13 in a meeting involving the Civil Aviation Ministry, airlines and Mumbai airport stakeholders over the proposed shift of flight operations from T1 to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
NDTV sources described the meeting as positive, with airlines and airport teams now working through the operational logistics and support required for the transition.
According to a spokesperson for Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), Jeet Adani and Arun Bansal met the airport's Airline Operators Committee (AOC) on Tuesday. They assured airlines that disruption would be minimised during the redevelopment and that historical slot allocations would be respected.
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The airport management also committed to keeping existing slots undisturbed for the winter schedule, addressing a key concern for airlines as plans for the redevelopment take shape.
A joint working group will work over the next two weeks to prepare an implementation plan for the redevelopment of the ageing T1 infrastructure. Airlines have also committed to supporting the redevelopment and traffic balancing measures, which are expected to begin with the summer schedule.
MIAL said it would extend full support to airlines that wish to shift some operations to NMIA. Both sides agreed to engage with airline network and slot teams before reconvening on October 28.
Sources also indicated that the Civil Aviation Ministry is scheduled to hold another meeting on October 20. The discussions are expected to help resolve logistical issues and establish a clearer timeframe for shifting operations.
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The plan aims to facilitate T1 redevelopment while balancing airline operations across Mumbai's existing airport and NMIA.
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