 "Mumbai airport's Terminal 1 can be demolished in a phased manner: AAI")
The government-run Airports Authority of India (AAI) has opposed Mumbai International Airport Limited’s (MIAL) plan to demolish the entire Terminal 1 (T1) at once, stating that the demolition should be carried out in a “phased” manner, Business Standard has learnt.
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Moreover, global airlines body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said that MIAL has not consulted airlines or provided sufficient information about T1's redevelopment to minimise flight disruptions. It added that the closure of T1 appears to be an attempt to push airlines to move to the new Navi Mumbai airport, which could result in “substantial and potentially unnecessary costs” for them.
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Major Indian carriers such as IndiGo, Air India and SpiceJet are members of IATA. Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIAL), which is building the Navi Mumbai airport slated to begin commercial operations in June, is a subsidiary of Adani Group-led MIAL.
Last month, the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) said the demolition of T1 was "necessary" for public safety, following a site visit and an IIT Bombay audit that revealed corrosion. seepage and cracks in the structure. However, the question remains whether the demolition should be done in one go or in phases to minimise flight disruption. MIAL did not respond to Business Standard's request for a statement on this matter.
Mumbai airport currently has two terminals—T1 and T2—with an annual passenger handling capacity of 15 million and 40 million passengers, respectively. Last month, MIAL said that T1 would be demolished in October this year and its reconstruction is expected to be completed by September 2028. During the reconstruction phase, about 5 million passengers of T1 would be shifted to T2, while the remaining 10 million would be moved to the Navi Mumbai airport. Airlines are concerned as they currently do not know which of their flights would be shifted to Navi Mumbai.