Airlines should have the freedom to choose between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said, opposing any “forced relocation” of flights.

IATA has sought the intervention of the Civil Aviation Ministry after Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) asked airlines to shift one-third of their international flights from Terminal 2 at Mumbai airport to Navi Mumbai airport from October 1.

While the proposed October 1 transition has not taken place, Mumbai airport has informed airlines that they may either relocate their operations to Navi Mumbai or suspend them from October 25 until the new Terminal 1 at Mumbai airport is commissioned in FY 2029-30.

“IATA and the airline community remain fully supportive of Navi Mumbai airport and the long-term development of the Mumbai dual airport system. However, this should be based on market forces and airlines’ choice rather than mandated, forced relocations,” said Amitabh Khosla, IATA’s Country Director (India), in a recent letter to the Ministry.

According to IATA, MIAL’s communication regarding the October 1 shift created uncertainty among airlines. The association has called for a transition framework to be developed in consultation with the airline community.

Khosla said airlines need assurance that the wider operating ecosystem at Navi Mumbai will be fully established before any transition takes place. This includes adequate ground-handling capacity, airline engineering and line-maintenance support, catering services, cargo facilities, crew accommodation and transportation, regulatory approvals, passenger connectivity and readiness of other service providers.

IATA also raised concerns over the preparedness of certain services at Navi Mumbai airport. Airlines, it said, have not been given clarity on whether the aircraft maintenance service provider has all the necessary approvals to handle different aircraft types. The association also said catering facilities were not yet fully equipped to handle meals for international flights.

“International airlines finalize schedules, aircraft deployment, sales inventory and resource planning many months in advance of a flight. Significant changes should also be aligned with the relevant industry scheduling season and communicated sufficiently in advance to avoid disruption to passengers and airline operations,” Khosla added.

Meanwhile, Mumbai airport said Terminal 1 is scheduled for demolition in accordance with an order from the Airport Economic Regulatory Authority.

MIAL said the demolition, originally planned for mid-2025, was voluntarily deferred because there was no alternative operating facility for airlines. With Navi Mumbai airport now operational, airlines have an alternative within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

According to MIAL, airlines and other stakeholders have been informed that the redevelopment of Terminal 1 will begin in January 2027. Airlines may therefore choose to relocate their operations to Navi Mumbai or temporarily suspend them from October 25 until the new Terminal 1 at MIAL is commissioned in 2029-30.

MIAL described the arrangement as a temporary transition and said it would honour airlines’ historic slot rights once the new terminal becomes operational.