An extension of the October 26 deadline for shifting flights from Mumbai Airport to Navi Mumbai Airport, along with additional incentives for airlines, are among the proposals being considered to resolve the standoff between airlines and Adani Airports, official sources told businessline.
The proposals were discussed at a meeting chaired by the Civil Aviation Secretary and attended by representatives of Adani Airports Holdings (AAHL), the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and the Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA), including Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet.
The airlines opposed October 26 deadline, saying that several passengers had already booked tickets for flights departing from the Mumbai Airport.
An extension of the timeline is under consideration, although a revised date is yet to be decided.
Additional incentives were suggested to encourage airlines to operate from Navi Mumbai Airport.
The discussions also covered the higher user development fee (UDF) at Navi Mumbai Airport, with a proposal to levy the same fee at both airports, sources said.
Decision on UDF
The government is yet to take a decision on a uniform UDF. Pending a decision, a proposal was made to reimburse passengers for the additional UDF through vouchers.
Adani Airports stated that shifting flights to Navi Mumbai was necessary to increase capacity. The current condition of Terminal 1 (T1) at Mumbai Airport was cited as a reason for the shift.
Government sources said another consultative meeting is expected soon to take forward discussions on the proposed transition and the concerns raised by airlines.
However, industry insiders revealed that the Ministry has asked the airlines and the airport operator to submit a firm transition plan by October 20 for shifting operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). They said the ministry proposed delaying the transition by a few weeks.
Next meeting
The next consultation will be held on October 13 to firm up the plan for shifting operations catering to five million international passengers annually from Mumbai Airport to NMIA. Another meeting will be held by October 20.
The meeting discussed the phased redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and the associated transition of airline operations to NMIA.
Additionally, AAHL outlined its preparedness to handle up to five million international passengers annually at NMIA, highlighting airport connectivity, inflight catering facilities, hotels, lounges and other supporting services.
Published on October 6, 2026
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