Mumbai Airport Maintains 150 Slots for Freighter Aircraft Operations, Reverses Earlier Decision

Navi Mumbai: In a significant victory for airlines based in Mumbai, the airport authority has chosen not to move 150 take-off/landing slots from Mumbai airport to the new Navi Mumbai airport, a shift that was set to occur by the end of October this year. Additionally, the airport rescinded its prior decision to prohibit freighter aircraft operations at Mumbai airport starting 16 August.

These two resolutions emerged from talks among airlines, Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL), and other parties during the recent inaugural slot committee meeting. "A source stated that all stakeholders reached a unanimous agreement on both decisions."

Last month, the Mumbai airport notified airlines that a portion of their slots would be briefly transferred to the new Navi Mumbai airport in October, coinciding with the beginning of the winter schedule. This aimed to support the demolition and rebuilding of Terminal 1 at the Mumbai airport. This would imply that airlines, both local and international, would need to shift some of their flights to Navi Mumbai airport for the winter timetable, which operates from October to the end of March.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association for airlines, described the two decisions as unilateral and requested government involvement. In a statement released last month, John Middleton, IATA's Head for Global Airport Slots, expressed astonishment and significant dismay at the "seemingly permanent removal of historic slots for passenger airlines" at Mumbai airport starting next season.

The organization requested the prompt cancellation of the suggested reductions and encouraged MIAL to participate in constructive discussions with the airline sector. IATA also suggested various actions, such as postponing capacity cuts to October 2025, establishing a coordination committee, and creating explicit guidelines for the equitable distribution of capacity reductions.