Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis opposes a proposal to divert some of Mumbai’s international flights to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport during redevelopment work at Terminal 1. Multiple outlets report he challenges the plan to move services to Navi Mumbai from next summer and instead promotes a phased approach to keep Terminal 1 operating.
Across the coverage, Fadnavis is described as writing to the Union Civil Aviation Minister to register objections and propose an alternative sequence for redevelopment: building Terminal 1B first, shifting operations from Terminal 1A to 1B, and then demolishing the existing 1A after replacement capacity is ready. Outlets also note that airlines and their global representative bodies oppose the diversion, raising concerns about capacity and flight slots during construction.
Several reports also stress that the overall impact on international traffic may be limited, with NDTV and Business Line citing expectations that nearly 91% of international traffic would remain unaffected by the T1 upgrade, while a smaller subset of carriers may relocate affected services to Navi Mumbai from around late March 2027. The remaining differences largely relate to how much disruption is expected and the emphasis placed on governance and operational details during redevelopment.
