To decrease the load on Mumbai airport, the airline IndiGo has made an important decision: starting in February 2027, it will begin the phased transfer of 12 daily international flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport.
This transition will free up space at the old Mumbai airport, which will then be used to launch new routes. As part of this change, IndiGo flights destined for Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka, and Jakarta will operate from Navi Mumbai Airport.
Furthermore, the launch of a new daily flight to Kathmandu is planned. From February to July 2027, IndiGo's international flights from Navi Mumbai will serve 12 countries and cities. However, the exact dates and flight schedule for the transfer have not yet been determined.
As part of this transformation, some domestic flights will also be moved to Navi Mumbai Airport, which will simplify transfers for passengers traveling on international flights to other departures. IndiGo and the airport operator are working to ensure all necessary conditions are met, and final timelines will be announced after receiving the relevant approvals.
IndiGo intends to expand its international services from Navi Mumbai. The airline has stated that freeing up space at Mumbai Airport will help initiate new destinations in Asia, Africa, and Europe in 2027. To achieve this, the airline is increasing its fleet, including A320, A321, and A321XLR models.
Previously, there was a plan to shift flights. MIAL, the operator of Mumbai Airport, initially planned to move 265 out of 770 weekly international flights of 46 airlines to Navi Mumbai Airport starting October 25. The goal was to reduce crowding at Mumbai Airport and free up space for Terminal-1 reconstruction. However, several airlines expressed disagreement, concerned about passenger convenience, flight schedules, and other aspects. Following this, the Ministry of Civil Aviation requested a postponement of the plan and negotiations with all airlines to reach an agreement.
On October 13, MIAL stated that there would be no changes to existing international flight slots in the winter schedule valid until March 27, 2027. The decision on the transfer will be based on negotiations with the respective airlines. In parallel, IndiGo has developed a plan for the phased relocation of 12 daily international flights to Navi Mumbai Airport, starting in February 2027.
The first phase of Navi Mumbai International Airport was opened in October 2025, with construction costing approximately 19,650 crore rupees. Commercial flights began here on December 25, 2025. The first flight arriving from Bangalore was an IndiGo flight, and the first departing from here to Hyderabad was also an IndiGo flight. International services also started on July 15, 2026, with an Air India Express flight to Abu Dhabi.
Terminal-1 of Mumbai Airport is scheduled for reconstruction by 2030. Moving some flights to Navi Mumbai will not only reduce the load on the main airport but also provide the necessary space for construction work.