IndiGo, Air India shift flights to Navi Mumbai Airport as both airline groups prepare to move selected services from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The phased transition is expected to begin in December 2026 and continue until the summer of 2027, supporting the planned redevelopment of Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1.
The development will affect selected domestic and international services, giving passengers another airport option in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
However, travellers will need to check their tickets carefully because the departure airport may change for certain routes.
IndiGo, Air India Shift Flights to Navi Mumbai Airport
IndiGo and the Air India Group have agreed to progressively transfer selected flight operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport.
The move follows discussions with airport operator Adani Airport Holdings Limited and forms part of a wider plan to manage capacity during the redevelopment of Mumbai airport’s Terminal 1.
Air India Express plans to begin operations from Navi Mumbai in December 2026 with four daily domestic flights.
From January 2027, it expects to start shifting selected international services, with the transition scheduled to continue through the summer 2027 season.
IndiGo, meanwhile, plans to start international operations from Navi Mumbai in February 2027.
The airline intends to progressively transfer 12 daily international departures from Mumbai airport between February and July 2027.
The transfer will take place in phases rather than moving all affected services at once.
Final schedules and operational arrangements may depend on coordination between the airlines and airport operators.
Which IndiGo and Air India Flights Will Move?
IndiGo plans to shift international services serving 11 existing destinations from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai.
These include Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta.
The airline also plans to introduce a daily service to Kathmandu. Once the planned changes are completed by July 2027, IndiGo expects to serve 12 international destinations from Navi Mumbai.
Selected domestic flights will also move to support connections with these international services.
The arrangements are intended to help passengers connect through the new airport while allowing IndiGo to expand its international network from Mumbai.
Air India Express plans to progressively shift services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah.
Its planned Kuwait services from Navi Mumbai remain subject to the necessary approvals, while the broader transition is expected to be completed by the summer 2027 schedule.
The changes are focused on selected routes and do not mean that all IndiGo or Air India Group flights will move to Navi Mumbai.
Both airlines are expected to continue operating services according to their respective schedules and airport arrangements.
Why Are Airlines Moving Flights to Navi Mumbai?
The principal reason for the transition is the planned redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The project is intended to modernise the existing terminal and increase its annual passenger-handling capacity from approximately 15 million to 20 million by the time the redevelopment is completed, which is targeted for 2030.
Shifting selected services to Navi Mumbai will help create capacity at the existing airport while redevelopment work takes place.
It will also allow the airport operator to distribute passenger traffic between the two airports serving the Mumbai region.
The plan follows weeks of discussions about how airlines should share operations between the two facilities.
Airlines had previously raised concerns about operational costs, passenger convenience and connectivity when considering a move to Navi Mumbai.
The latest agreement outlines a phased approach for IndiGo and the Air India Group.
For the airlines, the transition could also create room for future network expansion.
IndiGo has indicated that additional capacity at Mumbai airport could support more international services across Asia, Africa and Europe in 2027.
What Passengers Should Check Before Travelling
Passengers flying from Mumbai should check the departure airport printed on their tickets and review any updates sent by their airline before leaving for the airport.
Mumbai airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport are separate facilities, so travelling to the wrong location could cause inconvenience or lead to a missed flight.
Those with bookings for affected international routes should pay particular attention to travel dates between December 2026 and July 2027, when the phased changes are expected to take place.
The exact timing of each route transfer will depend on the airline’s operational schedule.
Travellers should also confirm flight numbers, departure times, airport details and connecting-flight arrangements before travelling.
Passengers who have booked onward connections should check whether any schedule changes affect their transfer plans.
The expansion of Navi Mumbai’s flight network is expected to give the Mumbai region another major aviation hub.
However, the practical impact on passengers will depend on the routes transferred, the final schedules and how conveniently travellers can reach the new airport.
