Airlines begin phased shift to NMIA ahead of CSMIA T1 revamp

While IndiGo plans to begin international operations from NMIA in February 2027, Air India Express will start with four daily domestic flights from December 2026 before progressively shifting some of the West Asia services

Mumbai: IndiGo and Air India Group have agreed to shift some of their international flights from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), as the redevelopment of CSMIA’s Terminal 1 (T1) approaches. However, connectivity to NMIA remains a concern for some airlines reluctant to move operations from the existing Mumbai airport. The issue has also reached the Union civil aviation ministry.

Navi Mumbai, India - Dec. 25, 2025:A View of Navi Mumbai International Airport in Navi Mumbai, India, on Thursday, December 25, 2025. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

While IndiGo plans to begin international operations from NMIA in February 2027, Air India Express will start with four daily domestic flights from December 2026 before progressively shifting some of the West Asia services. The announcements were made in separate statements issued on Sunday by IndiGo and Air India Group along with Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), the operator of NMIA.

IndiGo plans to progressively move 12 daily international departures from CSMIA to NMIA. The flights will serve Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta. An additional daily service to Kathmandu will also be introduced, taking the airline’s international network at NMIA to 12 destinations between February and July 2027.

The airline will also shift the domestic flights required to support these international services, allowing passengers to connect to onward destinations through NMIA.

IndiGo and AAHL said any further changes to IndiGo’s operations at T1 required for the redevelopment would be accommodated at CSMIA’s T2.

Air India Group, meanwhile, will progressively shift Air India Express services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah to NMIA. The airline will begin operating four daily domestic flights from December 2026, with planned services to Kuwait and existing services to Oman set to follow from January 2027. The transition is expected to be completed by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season.

Air India Group said the shift was part of a wider transition plan for Indian and international airlines and would support the redevelopment of CSMIA’s T1. It added that the move would allow the group to continue serving Mumbai while preserving the historicity of its existing operating slots at CSMIA.