Mumbai airport rejects IATA claim on spot cuts, halt in cargo flights

Mumbai: Mumbai Airport on Thursday refuted a global airlines grouping's claim that the private airport operator's plan to halt cargo flights and cut historic passenger flight slots was aimed at pushing the airlines toward its upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport.

"Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) is disappointed by the statement issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on 29th April 2025 and strongly refutes its assertions," MIAL said in a statement.

"Contrary to the claims made by IATA, the recent adjustments to cargo operations and slot allocations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) have followed a transparent, consultative and regulator-driven process," it said.

These operational changes are part of a broader infrastructure upgrade initiative governed by the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) as part of the Fourth Control Period review, MIAL said.

International Air Transport Ltd (IATA) earlier this week warned that the move could seriously damage the airport's reputation and credibility.

In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, IATA's Head of Worldwide Airport Slots, John Middleton, called on MIAL to reverse the cuts immediately and questioned whether operator Adani Airports was using the situation to push airlines toward their upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport.

"We reject in the strongest terms IATA's insinuation that MIAL or Adani Airports is using these operational adjustments to pressure airlines to shift to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA)," MOSL said in a statement.

Stating that Navi Mumbai International Airport is a nationally significant infrastructure project, envisioned in 1997 and under development since 2018, it said that user consultations for NMIA's master planning have been held since March 2018, with participation from airlines and IATA.

"Airlines have full autonomy over network planning, and there has been no attempt, either direct or indirect, to steer traffic from CSMIA to NMIA," MIAL said.

MIAL also asserted that it has actively engaged with stakeholders at every stage of the process and as part of this an Airport User Consultative Committee (AUCC) meeting was held on March 13 last year where it outlined its five-year development plan, including proposed airside improvements.

AERA conducted a public hearing on 25 March 25 (which was) attended by major stakeholders including airlines, cargo operators, industry associations and IATA, it said.

MIAL also said that AERA's consultation paper on tariff and development plans was published on March 10 this year with stakeholder comments accepted through April 16 and counter-comments through April 26.

"This sequence of structured engagement clearly demonstrates that MIAL has not acted unilaterally, but in full compliance with national regulatory frameworks and through open consultation," MIAL said.

The infrastructure developments currently underway, such as the construction of a parallel taxiway for Runway 14/32, require temporary relocation of certain cargo facilities. These activities were disclosed and discussed during the AERA consultation process and are part of the Master Plan submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), following inputs from multiple stakeholders, as per the statement.

"MIAL continues to respect international best practices, including the guidelines issued by the Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB), and remains committed to maintaining fair and equitable coordination with all stakeholders," the private operator said.

The "operational rebalancing" underway is a strategic step aligned with the long-term growth of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region's aviation infrastructure to enhance safety, reduce congestion and future-proof capacity for both passengers and cargo, in line with India's national development objectives, MIAL said.

"We urge IATA to avoid unsubstantiated assertions and, instead, collaborate with us constructively to support India's aviation ecosystem," it said.