Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has assured airlines that their existing flight slot allocations will remain unchanged during the winter schedule, following talks between airport officials and the Airline Operators Committee (AOC) of Mumbai Airport on October 13.

Jeet Adani and Arun Bansal, who lead the airports business of Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), met airline representatives to discuss plans for the redevelopment of the ageing Terminal 1 (T1). The meeting ended with an agreement to prepare a fresh implementation plan and continue talks with individual airlines before decisions are taken on future flight operations.

The assurance comes amid a dispute over proposed changes to international flights at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA). Airlines had raised concerns about plans to reduce or shift some services to make room for redevelopment work.

MIAL said the airline community had been assured that the airport would seek to minimise disruption and fully respect historical slot allocations. The company also committed to making no changes to airline slots during the winter schedule.

A joint working group involving the airport and airline representatives will work over the next two weeks to prepare a plan for implementing the redevelopment of the ageing T1 infrastructure.

The group will need to address how construction can proceed while airlines continue to serve passengers. Its work will also involve discussions with individual airline network and slot teams, which manage flight schedules and the allocation of arrival and departure times.

According to MIAL, both sides agreed to meet again on October 28. Until then, the airport and airline teams will continue their discussions to work through the operational issues linked to the project.

The latest agreement gives the parties more time to consider the practical effects of redevelopment before making changes to flight schedules. Airlines need sufficient notice to adjust aircraft movements, crew arrangements, passenger connections and ticket bookings.

Mumbai Airport is one of India’s busiest aviation hubs. It handles domestic and international services for millions of passengers every year, making the smooth running of its terminals important for travellers and airlines.

MIAL operates the airport under Adani Airport Holdings Limited. The company announced on October 3 that it planned to begin partial redevelopment of the northern section of Terminal 1B in January 2027.

The airport operator cited safety concerns involving the ageing structure. A fire at Terminal 1 in April 2026 had added to concerns about the condition of the building.

The wider airport handles about 55 million passengers annually. MIAL said the first phase of the redevelopment would temporarily affect capacity for around five million passengers a year, or about 9% of total traffic.

The project is expected to increase Terminal 1’s annual passenger capacity from 15 million to 20 million after redevelopment. This would give the airport more room to handle future demand.

However, construction at an airport of this size requires careful planning. Work on a terminal can affect passenger processing, aircraft schedules and the use of other airport facilities. The airport must therefore balance the need to improve old infrastructure with the need to keep flights running.

The latest discussions also produced a commitment from airlines to support the redevelopment and begin traffic balancing from the summer schedule.

This means the airport and carriers will continue to examine how flights can be distributed as the project moves forward. The exact changes will depend on the plan agreed by the working group and the discussions with individual airlines.

The winter schedule is particularly sensitive because airlines plan their services months. Changes can affect passengers who have already booked tickets, as well as international connections and the use of aircraft across different routes.

The decision to keep historical slots unchanged during winter gives airlines greater certainty while the redevelopment plan is reviewed. It does not, however, settle every question about how operations may change in the following months.

MIAL also confirmed that it would provide full support to any airline wishing to move some operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).

The new airport gives airlines another option within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Its role is expected to grow as air travel demand rises and the existing Mumbai airport undergoes redevelopment.

MIAL’s October 3 announcement offered airlines the option of temporarily moving operations to Navi Mumbai at their discretion. The airport operator also said the shift was intended to help maintain services while work proceeded at Terminal 1.

For airlines, a move between airports involves decisions about passenger access, operating costs, aircraft schedules and connections with other services. Passengers may also need to consider the time and cost of travelling to a different airport. These factors will shape how individual carriers assess the available options.

The October 13 meeting ended with both sides expressing thanks and renewing their commitment to developing Mumbai Airport to the standard they believe Mumbai’s residents deserve.

The next meeting, scheduled for October 28, will provide another opportunity to review progress. Until then, the joint working group and individual airline teams will have to turn the broad agreement into a workable plan that protects flight operations while allowing the ageing terminal to be rebuilt.