IndiGo to shift 12 daily international flights to Navi Mumbai from February
By Siddharth VermaBusiness Correspondent, Peepals Bharat
Representative image: garten-gg / Pixabay
IndiGo and Adani Airports said on October 25, 2026 that 12 daily international departures will shift from Mumbai's CSMIA to Navi Mumbai airport in phases from February 2027.
What Happened
IndiGo will begin moving international flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) in February 2027, the airline and Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) announced jointly on Sunday, October 25, 2026. Over February to July 2027, IndiGo will shift 12 daily international departures from Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to the new airport, and add a new daily flight to Kathmandu from Navi Mumbai. The announcement breaks the deadlock over moving international traffic to NMIA, although foreign airlines are still resisting the shift.
Key Facts
- The joint IndiGo-AAHL announcement came on October 25, 2026.
- IndiGo will move 12 daily international departures from CSMIA to NMIA in phases between February and July 2027.
- Routes named for the shift include Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Dhaka and Jakarta.
- IndiGo will also start a new daily Navi Mumbai-Kathmandu flight, taking its NMIA international network to 12 destinations by July 2027.
- AAHL has reworked its plan to shift 33% of Mumbai's international operations to NMIA; the first phase now covers flights carrying about 3 million passengers a year, down from an original target of 5 million.
- Foreign airlines continue to oppose the move; a meeting between Adani and the Airline Operators Committee is due on October 28.
- Moving flights out of CSMIA frees capacity for the phased redevelopment of its Terminal 1.
Why It Matters
Earlier, the operator of the existing Mumbai airport had told airlines that no international flights would move to Navi Mumbai before March 2027. Sunday's announcement changes that timeline for IndiGo. IndiGo will start moving international flights from February 2027, a month earlier than that date, and in phases rather than all at once. It is the first firm commitment by a major carrier to run international services from the new airport.
The shift matters for Mumbai's economy because CSMIA is short of space. Its operator plans to rebuild Terminal 1 in phases. That work needs flights to move elsewhere. Without a second airport taking international traffic, the redevelopment would squeeze capacity further. Navi Mumbai, run by Adani Airport Holdings, was built to share Mumbai's traffic.
The reduced first-phase target, about 3 million passengers instead of 5 million, shows the limits of what Adani could agree. Domestic carriers can be persuaded more easily because they have large networks at both airports and can feed passengers between their own flights. Foreign airlines are different. They usually fly once or twice a day into a city and want to be where their connecting partners and premium passengers are. Business reports say foreign carriers still oppose the move, and the October 28 meeting with the Airline Operators Committee, which represents airlines at the airport, will show whether any of them agree to follow.
The routes IndiGo has chosen are telling. Gulf cities such as Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah and Bahrain carry large numbers of workers from Maharashtra and neighbouring states. Dhaka, Jakarta and the new Kathmandu service serve regional travel. These are routes where passengers are often more sensitive to price and convenience than to which airport they use, which makes them easier to shift first.
Impact
Short-term: Passengers booking IndiGo international flights from Mumbai for February to July 2027 should check which airport their flight leaves from. Those living in Navi Mumbai, Thane, Panvel and the Raigad region may find the new airport closer.
Long-term: If the shift works, it frees space at CSMIA for Terminal 1 redevelopment and builds traffic at Navi Mumbai, which supports jobs in hospitality, logistics and retail around the new airport. If foreign airlines continue to refuse, NMIA's international side may grow more slowly than planned.
Who is affected: International travellers from the Mumbai region, especially those flying to the Gulf, Dhaka, Jakarta and Kathmandu; IndiGo and its staff; Adani Airport Holdings; the operator of CSMIA; foreign airlines serving Mumbai; and businesses around both airports.
Key Takeaway
IndiGo's commitment, announced on October 25, 2026, to move 12 daily international departures to Navi Mumbai from February 2027 is the first firm step in shifting international traffic out of Mumbai's crowded main airport.
Questions and Answers
When will international flights start from Navi Mumbai International Airport?
IndiGo will start moving international flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport in February 2027, in phases up to July 2027, according to the joint announcement by IndiGo and Adani Airport Holdings on October 25, 2026.
Which IndiGo international routes will move to Navi Mumbai?
The routes named include Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Dhaka and Jakarta. IndiGo will also add a new daily flight to Kathmandu from Navi Mumbai, giving it 12 international destinations there by July 2027.
Will foreign airlines also move to Navi Mumbai?
Not yet. Foreign airlines continue to oppose the move, according to business reports. A meeting between Adani and the Airline Operators Committee is scheduled for October 28, 2026.
Why is Mumbai shifting international flights to the new airport?
Moving flights frees capacity at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport for the phased redevelopment of its Terminal 1. Adani Airport Holdings aims to shift a third of Mumbai's international operations to Navi Mumbai.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
By Siddharth Verma, Business CorrespondentCovers Business and more for Peepals Bharat. All stories by Siddharth Verma
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Siddharth Verma is a pen name of the Peepals Global Editorial Team, which researches, fact-checks and publishes every story. The portrait is an illustration.
