Mumbai Airport to stop freighter operations temporarily from Aug 16 'until further notice'

NEW DELHI: As the Navi Mumbai Airport gears up for inauguration and operation this summer, the Adani Group has started preparing for the upgrade of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport too. CSMIA will temporarily shut down a part of its cargo facilities and not have freighter operations from Aug 16, 2025, “until further notice”. Private and charter planes operating to and from CSMIA will be moved to Navi Mumbai too.

Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has informed operators it is doing so to “carry out multiple airside works including building new taxiways for Runway 14/32 to enhance its capacity and bring efficiency in operations.” The Navi Mumbai Airport will be inaugurated this June and it may become operational before the Aug 16 deadline for freighter movement at CSMIA. Which means, these flights may be able to operate to Navi Mumbai Airport.

There are ambitious plans for CSMIA which will be implemented once Navi Mumbai gets operational. These include demolishing the CSMIA’s old terminal 1 and building a brand new one in its place.

MIAL’s communication to its cargo partners says: “CSMIA is the world's busiest single runway operated airport and the most space constrained airport. It is the only airport in the world to cater to 5.5 crore plus passengers with single runway operation. Since MIAL has taken over the management of CSMIA, it is relentlessly working towards upgrading its infrastructure, optimising its resources to enhance passenger experience and transforming CSMIA into a world class airport.”

“MIAL has always ensured that any infrastructure upgrade or additional resource creation is created in a fair and transparent manner. MIAL had therefore carried out consultation on March 13, 2024, on intended infrastructure upgrade giving all relevant stakeholders adequate notice period,” it adds.