Mumbai airport plans international slot cuts amid terminal reshuffle

Mumbai International Airport Ltd. plans to reduce international departure slots at Terminal 2 by 33% during a phased redevelopment of Terminal 1, intensifying a dispute with airlines over the reorganisation of services. In a letter reviewed by The Hindu, MIAL said the reduction would begin at 11:59 p.m.

on October 25. The change would remove 265 of T2’s 770 weekly international slots and affect 46 airlines. The airport operator said several airlines had not attended a September 16 meeting or submitted transition plans requested by September 25.

Airlines have until 4 p.m. on October 6 to identify the slots they want temporarily discontinued. If they do not respond, MIAL said it would select them according to operational, capacity and implementation considerations.

From October 26, the vacated facilities at T2, including check-in counters, baggage belts, gates and office space, are to be allocated to domestic operators moving from T1. The shift is intended to accommodate about five million passengers annually. The proposed changes would affect airlines differently.

IndiGo faces 74 slot cuts, Air India 33, while Emirates and Etihad Airways face 10 each, according to the report. The plan also involves shifting some international operations to the more distant Navi Mumbai International Airport. The International Air Transport Association has opposed what it described as forced relocation, saying transfers should be voluntary and based on consultation with airlines.

IATA also raised questions about whether Navi Mumbai has the necessary supporting services for international operations. Its concerns included maintenance approvals, catering, ground handling, wide-body aircraft support, passenger connectivity and other providers. The source material did not state whether the dispute had been resolved.