‘Unilateral’: Gulf airlines push back as Adani’s Mumbai airport denies 2027 slots

The notification also comes on the November 5 deadline for the release of the Slot Allocation List (SAL), as prescribed under the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines. (ANI)

The Adani Group-operated Mumbai airport on Thursday informed Gulf airlines serving 14 international destinations that it would be unable to accommodate their requested slots for the Summer 2027 schedule, which begins in late March, citing capacity constraints arising from the redevelopment of Terminal 1B.

In an email to the affected carriers, the airport’s slot coordinator said the requested slots could not be accommodated due to a temporary transition out of Terminal 2 (T2). However, the airport operator assured the airlines that their historic slots would be fully restored once the expansion of T2 is completed, adding an additional capacity of five million passengers per annum.

The communication follows the airport operator’s proposal to temporarily shift international operations serving 14 destinations, including Dammam, Bahrain, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jeddah, Jakarta, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah, out of Mumbai airport.

The notification also comes on the November 5 deadline for the release of the Slot Allocation List (SAL), as prescribed under the International Air Transport Association (IATA) guidelines.

However, Gulf carriers have termed the move “unilateral”, alleging that airlines were not consulted before the decision was taken. They have also questioned its compliance with the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s (MoCA) 2013 guidelines and the IATA Slot Guidelines.

The airport operator, meanwhile, has maintained that a reduction of five million passengers per annum in Mumbai airport’s capacity is necessary from the Summer 2027 schedule as the northern section of Terminal 1B is taken up for redevelopment.

The proposed capacity reduction comes amid efforts to shift a portion of international operations to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). Indian carriers, including Air India, IndiGo and Akasa Air, have agreed to a phased transition plan to partially shift their international operations to NMIA from December 2026. The proposed transition is expected to account for three million annual passengers.

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Foreign carriers, however, have resisted the proposal. The Airline Operators’ Committee (AOC) has sought the Civil Aviation Ministry’s intervention, urging it to advise Mumbai airport authorities on the proposed capacity reduction and the slot allocation process in view of the redevelopment of Terminal 1B.