Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 1 is shutting down for 4 years. Here’s what you need to know

Mumbai’s airport is entering a major transition, and for travellers, the change will be felt well beyond one terminal. Terminal 1 at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport will stop handling flights from 25 October 2026, ahead of a redevelopment that is expected to keep it closed until 2029-30. The terminal, which handles domestic flights, is nearly 80 years old. Its demolition is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with a new terminal planned in its place. The closure was delayed for years because there was no alternative facility to accommodate the airlines and passengers using T1. The opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport has now made the redevelopment possible. But the immediate challenge is what happens to the flights. Mumbai airport operator MIAL has asked 46 airlines to temporarily cut 265 international flights a week from 25 October. That represents about a third of the international departures currently operating from Mumbai. The idea is to free up space at Terminal 2 for domestic flights that have to move out of T1. What does this mean for passengers flying out of Mumbai Airport? The cuts affect some of the biggest airlines flying from Mumbai. IndiGo has been asked to reduce 74 international flights a week and Air India 33. Akasa Air, Air India Express and SpiceJet face cuts of 11, seven and five flights respectively. Among international carriers, Emirates and Etihad have each been asked to reduce 10 weekly services. Travellers are advised to check their airline’s latest advisory before leaving for the airport, particularly for journeys around October 25 and afterwards. Those flying from South or central Mumbai should also factor in the additional journey to Navi Mumbai if their flight moves there.