Aircraft-context photo, not the reported event: Archive Air India Express VT-BXY, December 23, 2024. Photo by Krish Aarush. Krish Aarush / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Own work. Resized and compressed to WebP; original watermark retained. Adapted image licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.. Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Air India Express plans to begin four daily domestic flights at Navi Mumbai International Airport in December 2026, while IndiGo is preparing an international expansion there from February 2027. The two October 25 announcements set out different timetables for Mumbai’s dual-airport transition, linked to redevelopment at the existing airport.
Air India Express: December domestic start, January international phase
The joint Air India Group–Adani announcement places the domestic start in December 2026. Planned Kuwait services and existing Oman services are to follow from January 2027; Kuwait remains subject to the required approvals.
The group expects a progressive move of Air India Express services to Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah, with that process completed by the IATA Northern Summer 2027 season. It describes continued operations at both airports and preservation of historic slots at the existing Mumbai airport.
IndiGo: February–July 2027 rollout
IndiGo and Adani’s separate plan would transfer 12 daily international departures covering 11 destinations from the existing airport. An additional daily Kathmandu service would bring the Navi Mumbai international network to 12 destinations during February–July 2027.
The airline also plans supporting domestic connections. Final transition dates and new-service dates are still to be announced after project coordination and relevant operating approvals. The announcement is a planning framework rather than a flight-by-flight timetable.
Terminal 1 redevelopment is phased
Adani’s October 3 redevelopment statement says work on the north section of Terminal 1B will begin in January 2027. The operator estimates that around five million of the existing airport’s roughly 55 million annual passengers would be temporarily affected, with 91% of traffic unaffected. It says the first phase concerns around one-third of Terminal 1 capacity.
Check the airport on your ticket
Travellers should distinguish Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, code BOM, from Navi Mumbai International Airport, code NMI. These plans do not mean every Mumbai flight changes airport on one date. Before arranging transport or connections, check the airport shown on the specific booking and any subsequent airline notice.
Archive image: Air India Express Boeing 737 MAX 8 VT-BXY, photographed December 23, 2024. Used for airline context; it does not document the planned transfer or identify its operating aircraft.
Photo: Krish Aarush / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed to WebP; original watermark retained. Original and adapted image remain under the same licence.
