Mumbai Flights Shift to Navi Mumbai: Fadnavis Objects to Moving 14 International Routes From 2027
Mumbai airport plans to move 14 international routes to Navi Mumbai from summer 2027 during the Terminal 1 rebuild. CM Fadnavis has objected. Here is where things stand.
Photo: Suraj Digrase / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Mumbai, 14th November 2026: A plan to shift Mumbai flights to 14 international destinations from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to Navi Mumbai International Airport from the summer 2027 schedule has run into opposition from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. He has written to the Union Civil Aviation Minister saying the flights should continue from Mumbai, Pune Pulse reported.
The shift is linked to the planned rebuild of Mumbai’s Terminal 1, run by the Adani group’s airport company, which needs space at Terminal 2 for domestic passengers.
Which routes could move
According to the report, the 14 destinations proposed for Navi Mumbai are:
- Gulf: Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Fujairah, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh, Sharjah
- Asia: Dhaka, Jakarta, Kathmandu
These are mostly short and medium-haul routes heavily used by workers, pilgrims and families travelling to the Gulf, including many from Pune.
Why Mumbai airport wants the change
Terminal 1 is to be demolished and rebuilt in phases. Demolition of its north section is scheduled to start in January 2027, and the project aims to raise its capacity from 15 million to 20 million passengers a year, Swarajya reported in October. Moving some international routes would free room at Terminal 2 for domestic flyers displaced from Terminal 1.
Who is objecting and why
- Fadnavis has proposed a phased plan in which a new Terminal 1B is built first and operations move there before the old Terminal 1A is demolished, so flights stay in Mumbai.
- Airlines objected to an earlier plan to cut 265 weekly international slots from October 25, saying tickets were already sold. After the Ministry of Civil Aviation stepped in, the change was pushed to the summer schedule starting March 28, 2027.
- Some foreign airlines have since backed a destination-based shift of the 14 routes, The Week reported on November 4.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has not announced a final decision.
What it means for flyers from Pune
Many Pune residents fly to the Gulf from Mumbai because Pune airport has few international routes. If the shift goes ahead, travellers to Dubai’s neighbours, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain may need to fly from Navi Mumbai, which is closer to Pune by the Mumbai-Pune Expressway than south Mumbai.
Navi Mumbai airport currently serves 46 destinations, mostly domestic, with Air India Express’s Abu Dhabi service as its only international link, according to Swarajya. A shift would make it a much bigger international hub almost overnight.
Do not change existing bookings yet. Airlines will inform passengers if a terminal changes. See our Pune Airport guide for routes from Lohegaon, and the new Pune Airport 15-minute rule for pick-ups.
Frequently asked questions
Which international flights may move from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai?
Flights to 14 destinations, including Doha, Muscat, Kuwait City, Riyadh, Jeddah, Sharjah, Dhaka and Kathmandu, are proposed to move from summer 2027.
When could the shift happen?
From the summer 2027 schedule, which starts on 28 March 2027, if approved.
Why did Devendra Fadnavis object?
He wants the flights to stay in Mumbai and has proposed a phased Terminal 1 rebuild instead.
Has the government approved the move?
No. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has not announced a final decision.
