Mint reported Nov. 3 that Navi Mumbai International Airport chief airport officer Subhash Murikenchery is expected to lead operations as proposed slot changes draw airline opposition during redevelopment of Mumbai’s existing airport.
Citing two people familiar with the matter, Mint said Chief Executive Officer Capt. B.V.J.K. Sharma would leave and the airport would operate without a CEO position. An Oct. 6 airport announcement identified Murikenchery as chief airport officer.
Mint and The Economic Times reported that Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has proposed shifting 265 of Terminal 2’s 770 weekly international departure slots to Navi Mumbai for the summer 2027 schedule. The reported figure concerns slots in a proposal; the final allocation has not been announced.
In a Nov. 2 email reviewed by The Financial Express and The Economic Times, an airline committee asked India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation to protect existing slots. MIAL said it would respect historical slot allocations and not disturb slots for the winter schedule.
Adani Airport Holdings Limited said safety concerns prompted its plan to rebuild the older north section of Mumbai’s Terminal 1B. The company estimates that the work will temporarily remove capacity for about 5 million passengers a year from an airport handling about 55 million annually.
Adani has offered a 100% landing-fee discount for new international flights at Navi Mumbai. The airport’s first terminal is designed to handle 20 million passengers a year, the company said.
Some carriers have announced transfer plans. IndiGo and Adani said IndiGo plans to move 12 international departures a day between February and July 2027, subject to final coordination and approvals.
Air India Express plans to begin four daily domestic flights at Navi Mumbai in December 2026, followed by a phased move of some West Asia services.
The next scheduled step is the Nov. 5, 2026, Slot Allocation List deadline.
