Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has proposed a phased redevelopment of Terminal 1 (T1) at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), suggesting that the existing facility remain operational until its replacement is ready to prevent disruptions to flight services.
In a letter to the Union Civil Aviation Ministry, Fadnavis has recommended an alternative construction sequence under which the new terminal would be developed before the existing facility is demolished.
“The idea is to have simultaneous development so that there is no need to transfer or cancel flights,” a senior official in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) told PTI.
New terminal to be built before demolition of existing facility
Under the proposed plan, Terminal 1B would be developed first. Once construction is completed, operations from Terminal 1A would be shifted to the new facility.
Terminal 1A would then be demolished and reconstructed. This approach would allow the airport to carry out the redevelopment in phases rather than shutting down the existing terminal before its replacement is ready.
The proposal is aimed at maintaining flight operations during construction and avoiding the need to transfer or cancel services as part of the redevelopment.
Redevelopment follows structural safety concerns
Terminal 1, which was commissioned in 1964, is being redeveloped to address structural and safety concerns identified in audits conducted by Structwel in 2017 and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2024.
The assessments highlighted the need to replace the ageing infrastructure with a modern terminal equipped to handle growing passenger traffic and meet current operational requirements.
The redeveloped Terminal 1 is expected to increase passenger-handling capacity from 15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) to 20 MPPA, an increase of around 33 per cent.
The upgraded facility will also include improvements to passenger processing, security screening and other airport infrastructure. It is targeted to become operational by March 2029.
International flight transition plan faces concerns
Mumbai airport operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) had initially planned to partially shift international flight operations from October 25, 2026. The deadline was subsequently deferred to March 2027 following concerns raised by several foreign airlines over the proposed transition.
Two weeks ago, representatives of more than 35 airlines and Mumbai airport officials held discussions on the plan to shift some international flight operations from CSMIA to the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The meeting saw discussions on the transition arrangements, with MIAL presenting detailed schedules for the Terminal 1 redevelopment, sources had earlier said.
New proposal seeks to minimise passenger inconvenience
The Chief Minister’s proposal offers an alternative to the existing transition plan by prioritising the construction of the replacement facility before dismantling the current terminal.
If accepted, the phased approach could allow the airport to continue handling flights while redevelopment work progresses. It would also address concerns about the operational impact of shifting a larger number of international services to NMIA during construction.
(With inputs from PTI)
