Mumbai Airport T1 Redevelopment to Begin in January, 9% Traffic to Be Affected

Adani Airports will begin the phased redevelopment of Mumbai airport’s ageing Terminal 1 from January 2027, starting with the North Section of Terminal 1B, with the company citing safety concerns surrounding the nearly 60-year-old facility.

The first phase is expected to affect about 5 million passengers annually, or nearly 9 per cent of Mumbai airport’s total traffic of around 55 million passengers. The remaining 91 per cent of passenger traffic will continue to operate normally, Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL) said on Saturday.

Airlines operating from the affected section will have the option of temporarily shifting their services to the newly operational Navi Mumbai International Airport, with AAHL saying it would support the transition. “Only the North Section of Terminal 1B, which accounts for around one-third of T1’s capacity, is being demolished in Phase 1 to minimise passenger inconvenience and operational disruption,” AAHL CEO Arun Bansal said.

Terminal 1 currently handles about 15 million passengers a year, and its redevelopment is expected to increase capacity by 33 per cent to 20 million passengers annually. The company said safety concerns at Terminal 1 had persisted for years, with temporary measures being adopted in the absence of an alternative facility. An April 2026 fire at the terminal further highlighted the risks associated with continued operations, it said.

Bansal said extensive consultations with airlines had been underway since 2020 and the redevelopment plan had also been presented before the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA). “Navi Mumbai International Airport is a modern, fully equipped airport” capable of handling additional traffic, he said. Navi Mumbai airport is offering a 100 per cent discount on landing fees for new international flights and plans to provide cash vouchers to international passengers to offset differences in user development fees.

AAHL said Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports would operate as complementary facilities serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The redevelopment is also expected to restore historical slots and provide additional slots for airlines. AAHL, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, operates eight airports and serves more than 23 per cent of India’s passenger traffic.