Image credit: Anonymous8010 via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC BY-SA 4.0; attribution required.
Mumbai International Airport Ltd has told airline partners to move a large share of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport traffic before Terminal 1 demolition begins. CNBC-TV18 reported that it accessed a MIAL email describing a phased realignment that starts on October 1, 2026, with at least one-third of international air traffic movements now at Terminal 2 shifting to Navi Mumbai International Airport.
If you hold a Mumbai ticket for October or later, the useful next step is simple. Confirm whether your flight still shows CSMIA Terminal 2, or whether the booking has moved to Navi Mumbai, before you book a hotel, train, or car to the wrong airport.
- Oct 1, 2026: At least one-third of international ATMs from CSMIA Terminal 2 shift to Navi Mumbai.
- Oct 25, 2026: At least one-third of Terminal 1 ATMs move to Terminal 2.
- Jan 15, 2027: Demolition of the North Section of Terminal 1-B is scheduled to begin.
- Rounding rule: MIAL says ATM counts round up to the next higher even number.
- Traveler action: Recheck airport and terminal codes on every Mumbai itinerary before you travel.
What MIAL told airlines in the October transition email
CNBC-TV18 says it reviewed a MIAL email to airline partners. According to that report, redevelopment-related activities begin on October 1, 2026, and demolition of the North Section of Terminal 1-B is scheduled for January 15, 2027.
The first traffic move is the international shift. From October 1, at least one-third of international air traffic movements currently operating from Mumbai Terminal 2 are to move to Navi Mumbai International Airport. MIAL told carriers to round the count up to the next higher even number. CNBC-TV18 gave the operator examples: an airline with up to six daily international ATMs at T2 would shift at least two, while an airline with eight to 12 would shift at least four.
BusinessLine independently reported that Adani-run MIAL has asked airlines to shift over 30 percent of international flights from Terminal 2 to Navi Mumbai from October, and that the operator informed the Civil Aviation Ministry while opening airline talks.
Do not treat the percentage as a passenger-by-passenger promise. The email language reported by CNBC-TV18 is about air traffic movements by airline, not a guarantee that every traveler on every route stays at CSMIA.
The three-stage reshuffle travelers will actually feel
Stage one is the international move on October 1. That is the highest-stakes change for visitors flying into or out of Mumbai on foreign routes, because Navi Mumbai is a different airport with different road time, rail options, and hotel geography.
Stage two starts on October 25, 2026. At least one-third of all ATMs currently operating from Terminal 1 are to move to Terminal 2. That matters for domestic passengers who still treat T1 as the default Mumbai domestic door. CN Traveller, summarizing the same transition, also flags late-October T1-to-T2 movement as part of the package, even when dates are phrased slightly differently across outlets.
Stage three is construction. On January 15, 2027, MIAL plans to begin demolition and redevelopment of the North Section of T1-B. CNBC-TV18 says that section handles about 5 million passengers a year, and that MIAL limited Phase 1 to that section to reduce disruption.
Akasa Air has already moved domestic operations from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 from August 1, 2026, according to the same CNBC-TV18 report. That earlier move is capacity prep, not the October international shift.
Why MIAL is forcing capacity through Navi Mumbai now
MIAL says Terminal 1 is nearly eight decades old and overdue for redevelopment. CNBC-TV18 reported that demolition had been planned for 2025 under the master plan submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority, then deferred because Navi Mumbai was not yet ready to absorb traffic.
Navi Mumbai began domestic operations on December 25, 2025, and international operations on July 15, 2026. Deep Arrival covered the early international opening in the first Navi Mumbai international flight report. The October shift is a later capacity decision, not a rewrite of that opening story.
With both airports now live, MIAL can push part of the international schedule to Navi Mumbai, free Terminal 2 capacity, and accept T1 domestic flights that need a temporary home while the North Section of T1-B comes down.
BusinessLine notes IndiGo, SpiceJet, Alliance Air, and Star Air still had T1 operations when the proposal circulated, while Akasa had already realigned to T2. Airline lineups can change before October, so use your ticket, not a July or August roster, as the authority.
What to verify before you leave for the airport
Open the live booking and confirm three fields: airport code, terminal, and local departure or arrival time. A flight that still says BOM or CSMIA is not the same product as a flight that now shows Navi Mumbai. Hotels, early-morning taxis, and intercity trains planned around Terminal 2 can fail if the airline moved the departure.
Build extra ground time for any itinerary that may land or leave from Navi Mumbai. Last-mile connectivity remains the weak point in every recent report. CNBC-TV18 explicitly flags additional travel time and distance for passengers shifted to the newer airport.
If you are connecting between a domestic T1-era flight and an international T2 flight in late October, recheck both segments. The T1-to-T2 domestic move and the T2-to-Navi Mumbai international move can stack on the same day for some travelers.
Keep the landside plan flexible until the airline publishes the final airport code. Gulf connections are a common Mumbai T2 use case; if your trip still includes a Dubai stop after a schedule change, Deep Arrival’s Dubai things to do guide helps rebuild the layover plan. Ground transport around Navi Mumbai still matters; Deep Arrival’s earlier Bharat Taxi Navi Mumbai airport launch story is useful chronology for capped airport cab options, not a substitute for your airline’s October airport assignment.
How airlines and passengers should use the next six weeks
MIAL has appointed nodal officers and asked airlines to nominate representatives, according to CNBC-TV18. The operator also says it will facilitate talks with Navi Mumbai International Airport Ltd and has highlighted commercial incentives available at Navi Mumbai. That is an airline planning conversation. Passengers still need a corrected itinerary, not a tariff memo.
Watch for schedule change emails, app push notices, and revised airport codes after you book. If a change appears, save the message and update hotels, transfers, and meet-and-greet instructions the same day. Do not wait until the week of travel.
Treat January 15, 2027, as the construction cliff for the North Section of T1-B, not as the first traveler decision date. The traveler decisions start on October 1 and October 25, 2026.
If your airline has not yet published a public route list for the one-third shift, ask customer service which of your Mumbai flights are candidates before you lock nonrefundable landside plans.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Hold an international Mumbai ticket on or after Oct 1 | Confirm whether the flight remains at CSMIA T2 or moves to Navi Mumbai before booking transfers. |
| Hold a domestic T1-era ticket around late October | Recheck whether the flight has moved to Terminal 2 after Oct 25. |
| Connect domestic to international in Mumbai | Verify both airport and terminal codes; do not assume one CSMIA campus covers both segments. |
| Need a hotel near the airport | Wait for the final airport assignment, then book near the correct campus. |
- Deadline: Treat Oct 1 and Oct 25, 2026, as the live schedule checkpoints.
- Airport check: Confirm CSMIA versus Navi Mumbai on every ticket and boarding pass.
- Transfer check: Rebuild road and rail timing if the flight moves campuses.
- Construction watch: Expect T1-B North Section works from Jan 15, 2027, onward.
Recheck the airport code now, then again after any airline schedule change, because the October shift is already in airline inboxes.
When do Mumbai international flights start moving to Navi Mumbai?
CNBC-TV18 reports that MIAL told airlines at least one-third of international ATMs from CSMIA Terminal 2 will shift to Navi Mumbai from October 1, 2026.
What happens to Terminal 1 flights?
According to the same MIAL communication reported by CNBC-TV18, at least one-third of Terminal 1 ATMs move to Terminal 2 from October 25, 2026, ahead of T1-B North Section demolition on January 15, 2027.
How does MIAL calculate the one-third shift?
CNBC-TV18 says MIAL instructed airlines to round air traffic movement counts up to the next higher even number when applying the one-third rule.
Is this the same story as Navi Mumbai’s first international flight?
No. The July 2026 international opening created capacity. The October 2026 MIAL transition is a later schedule shift tied to CSMIA Terminal 1 redevelopment.
