A significant dispute has emerged between Adani Group’s Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) and various airline carriers regarding plans to temporarily scale back international flights. The proposed cuts are intended to facilitate the partial demolition and reconstruction of the 60-year-old Terminal 1B, a project Adani deems necessary for safety following a fire earlier this year. To accommodate the shifting passenger load to Terminal 2, the airport operator is pushing for a 33% reduction in international departure slots. While MIAL promises that the upgraded facility will eventually increase capacity to 20 million passengers annually and restore original slot allocations, airlines remain deeply skeptical of the immediate impact.

The Airline Operators Committee has pushed back, arguing that these significant schedule changes were proposed unilaterally without adequate consultation or evidence. Carriers are concerned that such short-notice disruptions will negatively affect passenger bookings and overall connectivity, and they are demanding to see independent structural reports before agreeing to any capacity reductions. Adding to the tension is Adani’s suggestion that airlines shift operations to the newly developed Navi Mumbai airport. While the operator is dangling incentives like landing fee discounts, the airlines have firmly rejected any notion of a "forced transfer," turning this situation into a high-stakes test for the efficiency and coordination of Mumbai’s dual-airport strategy.