Mumbai, October 5: Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), operated by Adani Airport Holdings Limited, will begin the phased redevelopment of the North Section of Terminal 1B from January 2027, citing safety concerns around the nearly 60-year-old structure.
The first phase will involve the demolition of the North Section of Terminal 1B, which accounts for around one-third of Terminal 1’s capacity. Adani Airports said the redevelopment has been planned in phases to minimise passenger inconvenience and operational disruption.
Mumbai Airport currently handles around 55 million passengers annually. During the redevelopment, capacity equivalent to around 5 million passengers per annum, or about 9 per cent of the airport’s total traffic, will be temporarily de-operationalised, while the remaining 91 per cent of traffic is expected to remain unaffected.
Airlines will have the option to temporarily shift affected operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport at their discretion. Adani Airports said any such relocation would be temporary and would not amount to a permanent transfer of traffic from Mumbai Airport.
The redevelopment is expected to increase Terminal 1’s annual passenger-handling capacity by 33 per cent, from 15 million to 20 million passengers. Adani Airports also said the revamped terminal will restore all historical airline slots and create additional slots.
According to the company, Terminal 1 has been considered a safety concern for years, with only temporary mitigation measures undertaken earlier because of the absence of a viable alternative for passengers and airlines. Adani Airports said concerns about continued operations became more pronounced after a fire incident at Terminal 1 in April 2026.
Adani Airport Holdings CEO Arun Bansal said the availability of Navi Mumbai International Airport now makes it possible to undertake the redevelopment in phases instead of shutting the entire terminal at once.
The company said consultations with airlines on the future of Terminal 1 have been underway since 2020. The redevelopment proposal was also presented to the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority and was subsequently incorporated into the approved tariff framework.
To support the transition, Navi Mumbai International Airport is offering a 100 per cent discount on landing fees for new international flights. It also plans to provide cash vouchers to international passengers to offset the difference in the User Development Fee between Navi Mumbai and Mumbai airports.
Adani Airports said Mumbai Airport and Navi Mumbai International Airport will operate as complementary facilities as the Mumbai metropolitan region addresses its growing aviation capacity requirements.
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