Less than a year after Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) began commercial operations, airlines are scaling back flights as weaker-than-expected passenger demand and higher operating costs seem to be forcing carriers to recalibrate their network strategies. The development highlights the challenges of operating a two-airport system in the busiest aviation market.
Data from aviation analytics firm OAG shows total scheduled departures from NMIA are set at 1,497 in the September 2026 schedule, down 32% from a peak of 2,204 departures in May. While marginally higher than August’s 1,481 departures, the September schedule remains among the lowest since commercial operations began in December 2025.
The reduction, spread across multiple airlines rather than a single carrier, suggests operators are shifting from rapid expansion to a more commercially disciplined approach after an aggressive launch phase. Industry executives say the experience underscores the structural challenges unique to Navi Mumbai. /
Unlike most greenfield airports that either replace older facilities or serve entirely new catchment areas, NMIA competes directly with Mumbai’s established Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), which continues to attract the bulk of passenger traffic. Airlines also face additional costs in maintaining manpower, engineering support and ground-handling infrastructure across two airports serving the same metropolitan market.
“Moving flights raises costs for airlines because they have to duplicate manpower, engineering support and ground handling arrangements across two airports. Since both airports are operated by the Adani Group, there is also limited commercial incentive for the airport operator to encourage large-scale migration of flights,” an aviation executive said.
He added that NMIA’s relatively smaller domestic and international network also limits transit traffic, making it harder for airlines to sustain new routes. Passenger behaviour has also evolved more slowly than airlines had anticipated. Many travellers continue to prefer Mumbai airport because of its established connectivity, while road links, public transport and the broader ecosystem around Navi Mumbai are still developing.
With airfares broadly comparable between the two airports, passengers have had little reason to shift airports solely for convenience. “The capacity response has not been as strong as airports anticipated,” Mark D Martin, CEO of Martin Consulting, said. “Passengers are still more inclined to fly from CSMIA because the ecosystem around Navi Mumbai is evolving. Airlines cannot sustain operating flights that do not generate sufficient traffic. Ultimately, passengers decide where airlines fly.”
The change in airline strategy has been swift. After starting with 108 scheduled departures in December 2025, flights rose to 662 in January before peaking at 2,204 in May. Capacity has since been steadily pared back, falling to 1,808 departures in June and remaining below 1,500 in both August and September schedules.
Akasa Air has undertaken the sharpest reduction. Scheduled departures are set to decline 75% to 65 in September from 259 in May, while its network has shrunk from 12 destinations to just Delhi, Kochi and Varanasi.
IndiGo, the airport’s largest operator, has reduced scheduled departures by 30% to 1,209 from 1,728 during the same period and trimmed its destination network to 40 routes from 45, dropping services to cities including Bhopal, Hubballi, Bagdogra, Jharsuguda and Durgapur.
Star Air has exited the airport after briefly operating services to Ahmedabad and Goa. Air India Express remains the exception, continuing to add capacity and is expected to record its highest level of operations at NMIA in the September schedule.
The rationalisation has also narrowed the airport’s connectivity. Of the 49 destinations served at some point since commercial operations began, eight have no scheduled services in September, including Bhopal, Guwahati, Bagdogra and Jharsuguda.
Even so, aviation experts caution against reading too much into the early retrenchment. Airline schedules are revised every season and capacity is routinely shifted towards routes that generate stronger demand. With NMIA operational for less than a year and key infrastructure projects around the airport still under development, it remains too early to conclude that the airport has fallen short of expectations.