Mumbai’s Second Airport Is About to Start Taking Real Traffic

India’s two biggest low-cost carriers are starting to move flights out of Mumbai’s congested main airport and into the new Navi Mumbai International Airport. IndiGo announced on October 25, together with Adani Airport Holdings, that it plans to shift 12 daily international departures to Navi Mumbai between February and July 2027, with plans still being finalised.

IndiGo’s international flying from Navi Mumbai begins in February 2027. Eleven existing destinations are slated to move: Bahrain, Riyadh, Dammam, Jeddah, Madinah, Kuwait, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah, Muscat, Dhaka and Jakarta. A new daily Kathmandu service would bring the international network to 12 destinations. Supporting domestic flights will move too, though final dates and the full domestic schedule are not yet confirmed.

Air India Express moves first. It begins transferring selected services in December 2026, starting with four daily domestic departures. From January 2027 it plans to serve Kuwait, subject to regulatory approval, and to shift existing Oman flights. Six West Asia destinations are in its plan: Jeddah, Riyadh, Dammam, Doha, Muscat and Sharjah. The transition is expected to finish by the northern summer 2027 season.

The shuffle matters for anyone booking Mumbai trips next year, because the departure airport on a ticket may change. Neither airline is leaving the original airport entirely, and the wider Air India group will keep flying from both. Mumbai’s main airport faces capacity limits while Terminal 1 is redeveloped, and IndiGo says the move should free room there for international growth in 2027.

Sources: Aviation A2Z, Air India Express