Mumbai Airport to Close Terminal 1 for Reconstruction
Mumbai International Airport Limited will close Terminal 1 on October 25, 2026, prompting a dispute with IATA over forced airline relocations to Navi Mumbai.
The Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) announced that Terminal 1 will shut for flight operations starting October 25, 2026, to undergo demolition and reconstruction. The 84-year-old facility is expected to remain closed until 2029-30, following a directive from the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India. The new terminal is planned to handle over 20 million passengers annually and will feature underground connectivity to Terminal 2 and the Mumbai Metro.
To manage the closure, MIAL instructed affected airlines to shift operations to Terminal 2, relocate to the newly operational Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL), or temporarily suspend services. Akasa Air has already begun shifting its operations. MIAL maintains that this is a temporary transition and that historic slot rights will be honored once the new terminal opens.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged India's Ministry of Civil Aviation to intervene, opposing a proposal to shift approximately one-third of each airline's international passenger and cargo operations to NMIAL. IATA argues the plan lacks proper consultation and fails to demonstrate operational readiness regarding catering facilities, maintenance approvals, and widebody aircraft stands. The global airline body specifically opposes any requirement for airlines to surrender existing slots at Mumbai airport as part of the transition.
