Now Reading: Mumbai Airport Terminal 1 to shut for 4 years from 25 October
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Mumbai Airport Terminal 1 to shut for 4 years from 25 October
Mumbai's Terminal 1 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will cease flight operations from 25 October, followed by a complete redevelopment starting January 2027, MIAL has announced. The closure, which will last approximately four years, follows a directive from the Airports Authority of India and was postponed from mid-2025 until the Navi Mumbai International Airport became available to accommodate alternative operations.
Airlines currently using T1 can shift to Terminal 2 at Mumbai airport, move flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport, or suspend services temporarily. Akasa Air has already begun relocating, while discussions continue with other carriers. MIAL has assured airlines that their existing slot rights will be honoured once the rebuilt terminal reopens.
T1 handled nearly 1.5 crore passengers in FY 2025-26, while T2 handled approximately 4 crore. The demolition and reconstruction of the 84-year-old terminal aims to create improved infrastructure and greater capacity, coinciding with Mumbai's transition to a dual-airport system.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Mumbai’s busiest airport loses its oldest terminal at a time when both T2 and the new Navi Mumbai airport must absorb its 15-million-passenger annual traffic. Akasa Air has already begun shifting, but other airlines are still negotiating, leaving the exact redistribution unclear. The directive came from the Airports Authority of India, and MIAL has guaranteed that existing slot rights will be honoured when the rebuilt terminal reopens, offering airlines a long-term incentive to cooperate. The 84-year-old T1’s closure from 25 October tests how smoothly the city’s emerging dual-airport system can handle the region’s growing air traffic in the four years before the reconstructed terminal opens.
Source: businesstoday.in
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