Mumbai has two airports now, and next year the one your flight uses could change. The operator of Mumbai's main airport wants about a third of its international flights to move to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport, which opened across the harbor in late 2025, while it rebuilds its oldest terminal. India's two biggest airlines, IndiGo and Air India, have agreed to start shifting flights in early 2027. Foreign airlines, including Emirates and Air France-KLM, haven't signed on, and a meeting with them on Oct. 28 reportedly ended without a deal.
If you're flying to or from Mumbai in 2027, it's worth knowing which airport you'll actually be using, especially if you're connecting.
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Oct. 28: A meeting between Mumbai's airport operator and foreign airlines about the move reportedly ended after about 90 minutes without an agreement. Foreign airlines have asked for more details before deciding, according to people familiar with the talks.
Why Mumbai Wants to Move Flights
Mumbai's main airport, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International, is run by Adani Airports, which also built Navi Mumbai. It plans to rebuild Terminal 1, its 60-year-old domestic terminal, starting in January 2027, citing safety concerns about the building. To make that work, it wants to move domestic passengers from Terminal 1 into Terminal 2, which currently handles all of Mumbai's international flights. That means some of those international flights need to go somewhere else, and Navi Mumbai is the answer.
The two airports are only about 25 kilometers (16 miles) apart in a straight line, but they sit on opposite sides of the harbor, and getting between them takes a lot longer than the distance suggests. That's a big deal if you've booked a connection or planned to land at one and leave from the other.
Which Flights Are Moving
IndiGo plans to move 12 daily international flights to Navi Mumbai, starting in February 2027 and finishing by July. Its flights to Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta are on the list, along with a new daily flight to Kathmandu.
Air India Express will start four daily domestic flights from Navi Mumbai in December 2026. Its flights to Kuwait and Oman follow in January 2027, then Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah, with the move expected to wrap up by summer 2027. Most of what's moving, in other words, is flights to the Gulf and nearby countries. None of IndiGo's or Air India's announced moves involve flights to the US or Europe.
Mumbai · Check your airport code
about 25 km
apart
Not agreed yet: foreign airlines including Emirates and Air France-KLM, which say Navi Mumbai isn't ready.
Contrail
Why Foreign Airlines Are Pushing Back
The airline industry's trade group, IATA, has written to India's aviation ministry opposing what it calls a "forced" move, arguing Navi Mumbai isn't ready for a big wave of international flights. Its concerns include ground handling, aircraft maintenance approvals, catering, cargo, hotels for crews and connections between flights. Air France-KLM says splitting its long-haul flying across two Mumbai airports would hurt its business, and Emirates has raised concerns too.
The airport operator has offered sweeteners, including waiving landing fees for new international flights at Navi Mumbai, but the airlines say money isn't the issue. They want to see the full plan for Terminal 1 and the data behind the decision first. The original deadline for the move was Oct. 25, and it has already slipped into 2027 because of the pushback.
How to Check Your Ticket
Look at the airport code on your booking. Mumbai's main airport is BOM, and Navi Mumbai is NMI. If you booked a while ago, check again closer to your trip, since airlines are moving flights in phases and your flight could switch after you've booked. Your airline should tell you if it does, but it's easy to miss an email.
If you're connecting in Mumbai, make sure both flights use the same airport. If they don't, leave plenty of extra time to get across the city, or ask your airline to rebook you onto a connection through one airport. And if you're booked on a foreign airline like Emirates or Air France, expect your flight to stay at the main airport for now, but keep an eye on this as the talks continue.
