“I have written to them to first develop Terminal 1B, shift 1A to 1B and then take down the existing 1A terminal,” Fadnavis said.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), a central government entity, holds 26% stake in Mumbai airport, with the remaining 74% held by Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL).
MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday opposed Mumbai airport operator’s plan to shift international flights to 14 destinations to Navi Mumbai airport from next summer, saying no flights would be moved out of Mumbai. Last week, AAHL informed the ministry that it plans to move flights connecting Mumbai with 14 international destinations to Navi Mumbai from next summer.
“I have written to them to first develop Terminal 1B, shift 1A to 1B and then take down the existing 1A terminal,” Fadnavis said. Sources said the chief minister would need to take up the proposal with the union civil aviation ministry, which is examining MIAL’s capacity-reduction plan. His proposal would allow the airport to demolish and reconstruct T1 in stages rather than shut it down entirely before starting construction of the replacement. The proposed shift has faced resistance from airlines. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which represents airlines globally, had urged the ministry to adopt a phased redevelopment approach, whereby portions of T1 would be demolished and reconstructed sequentially to avoid a wholesale loss of capacity.