IndiGo to shift 12 daily international departures from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport from February

The reports differ a little on the timing. The headlines speak of a move from February, while the body of one report describes a transition that is planned in phases through the summer aviation season of 2027. Passengers should therefore expect flights to shift in batches and should check the airline's notices before booking.

The reason is the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at the older airport. The work needs capacity at CSMIA to be reduced, and IndiGo says it will contribute to the capacity reductions that are needed for the redevelopment, which is to be completed by 2030. Navi Mumbai International Airport, which began operating in December 2025, gives the airlines a place to move to while Terminal 1 is rebuilt. Air India Group is also moving flights to the new airport in phases, according to the same reports.

Mumbai's airport has been working at close to its limit for years, with a single main runway that is shared with crossing runway operations. A second airport has long been seen as the way to ease the pressure, and the move of a dozen international departures by the country's largest airline is the first big transfer of long-haul and regional traffic.

What it means for passengers

Navi Mumbai International Airport is a project of Adani Airport Holdings at Ulwe, across the harbour from the city, and it began operating in December 2025. Its reach has grown in stages since then, and the shift of IndiGo's 12 departures is the biggest addition of international services so far. The Atal Setu sea link, which opened in January 2024, has shortened the road journey between south Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, but the trip can still be long in peak hours.

For those who live in Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Raigad and the eastern suburbs, the shift could cut a long journey to the old airport. For those who live in the western suburbs and south Mumbai, it can add time and cost, since the new airport is across the harbour and the road and rail links are not yet as dense as those of the old one. Anyone who has booked a ticket for travel after February should look at the airport named on the booking and plan for the change in the journey, including connecting flights. A passenger who connects between a domestic flight at one airport and an international flight at the other would need to move between the two, so airlines are likely to set up through-ticketing rules for these cases.

Fares may be affected as well. A new airport can bring lower charges at the start, in order to draw traffic, but the cost of ground transport, the length of the trip and the distance from the older business districts all become part of the true cost of a flight. The Gulf routes in the list are among the busiest for the many workers and families who travel between Maharashtra and West Asia.

The first sign will be the date announcement, which will show how quickly the transfer is planned. The second is the pace of transport links to the new airport, including the road, the suburban rail and the metro connection that has been promised. The third is how Air India and other carriers schedule their own moves, because the old airport has to lose enough traffic to make room for the Terminal 1 works without leaving the new airport short of the services passengers need.