October 26, 2026 — Air India Group says Air India Express will begin flying from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in December and will move its Gulf services there in stages through summer 2027, as Mumbai’s main airport prepares to rebuild Terminal 1.
What happened
Air India Group and airport operator Adani Airport Holdings announced the phased plan on Sunday, October 25. It covers Air India Express, the group’s low-cost arm.
| When | What moves to Navi Mumbai (NMIA) |
|---|---|
| December 2026 | Air India Express starts four daily domestic flights |
| January 2027 | Planned new Kuwait service (subject to approvals) and existing Oman services |
| By IATA Northern Summer 2027 | Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah services move progressively |
Exact start dates, flight numbers and domestic destinations for the December flights are TBA.
Why it is happening
The move supports the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) and Mumbai’s shift to a two-airport system. The group said the plan lets it keep its existing operating slots at CSMIA. Skift reports that the phased approach replaces Adani’s earlier plan to remove 265 of Terminal 2’s 770 weekly international slots from October 25, which would have hit 46 carriers; after government intervention, winter slots were left alone and the shift now runs gradually through the summer 2027 schedule. IndiGo announced its own Navi Mumbai move on the same day.
Separately, Air India and Air India Express flights to Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam remain suspended until November 7 because of the security situation in Saudi Arabia, according to The National.
What it means for travelers
- Two Mumbai airports, so check which one. From December, an Air India Express flight to or from “Mumbai” may use NMIA rather than CSMIA. Confirm the departure airport each time you book, especially for Gulf flights from January.
- Avoid tight cross-airport connections. If one leg uses NMIA and the other CSMIA, you will have to travel between airports. Build in plenty of time, or keep both legs at the same airport.
- Winter travel is unchanged. Under the revised plan, winter slots at CSMIA were left alone, so this season’s Mumbai international schedules should not be disrupted by the move.
- Saudi flying is still off until November 7. Do not plan Air India Group travel to Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam before then, and recheck nearer the date.
Sources
- Republic World — Air India Group And Adani Airports Announce Phased Transition Of Flight Operations From Mumbai To Navi Mumbai Airport
- Skift — IndiGo, Air India Group Agree to Phased Move of International Flights to Navi Mumbai Through 2027
- The National — Saudi Arabia flight cancellations: Which airlines are suspending services and until when?
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