Mumbai Airport Changes From Oct 25: Over 200 Weekly International Flights to Be Cut, What Flyers Must Know

By the FinanceChecks.com Editorial Team | Published October 1, 2026 | Last reviewed October 1, 2026 | 7-minute read

If you have an international flight booked out of Mumbai anytime after October 25, this is worth five minutes of your time. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) is about to go through a significant operational shift, and depending on which airline you’re flying, your flight could be among the roughly 265 weekly international services getting temporarily cut.

Here’s exactly what’s changing, why, which airlines are affected and by how much, and the practical steps you should take if you have a booking in that window.

What’s Actually Happening

Mumbai airport operates two terminals, T1 for domestic flights and T2 for both domestic and international flights. From 11:59 PM on October 25, 2026, which also marks the start of the winter flight schedule, Terminal 1 is set to stop handling flight operations entirely as it goes into redevelopment, a process reportedly expected to take around four years.

To manage this, domestic flights currently operating out of T1 need to shift over to T2. But T2 doesn’t have unlimited room, so to free up the capacity needed for that domestic shift, the airport operator has asked international carriers to temporarily cut back their departure slots from T2 by roughly 33%. In concrete numbers, that works out to around 265 weekly international flights being discontinued, out of the roughly 770 weekly international flights that 46 different airlines currently operate out of T2.

Which Airlines Are Cutting the Most Flights

The cuts aren’t spread evenly, and if you’re booked on one of the harder-hit carriers, it’s worth checking your specific flight sooner rather than later.

Airline	Weekly Flights Being Cut	Approximate Current Weekly Flights
IndiGo	74	~224
Air India	33	~100
Akasa Air	11	Not specified
Air India Express	7	Not specified
SpiceJet	5	Not specified
Emirates	10	Not specified
Etihad	10	Not specified

IndiGo faces the single largest reduction by far, cutting roughly a third of its current weekly international departures from Mumbai. Air India’s cut, while smaller in absolute terms, still represents close to a third of its international schedule from the airport as well. Beyond these named carriers, dozens of other foreign and domestic airlines operating out of T2 are expected to see some reduction in their allotted slots as part of the same 33% overall cutback.

Why This Matters If You Have a Booking

A flight being “cut” doesn’t necessarily mean your specific flight disappears, but it does mean the airline has fewer total slots to work with during this period, which typically plays out as a mix of reduced frequency on certain routes, some flights being consolidated or merged, and in some cases, flights being rescheduled to different times or, where an airline has other Indian hubs, shifted elsewhere in the network. If your flight happens to be one of the ones affected, you’d generally expect to hear from the airline directly, but relying on that alone isn’t the safest approach given how large and fast-moving this change is.

What Flyers Should Actually Do

Check your booking now, not closer to the date. If you have any international flight out of Mumbai scheduled from October 25 onward, log into your airline’s app or website and check the current status of that specific flight. Airlines are expected to progressively update their schedules on official platforms as the changes roll out, so a booking that looks fine today could show a change a few weeks from now.

Keep an eye on direct communication from your airline. Airlines typically notify passengers by email or SMS if a booked flight is cancelled, merged, or rescheduled. Make sure the contact details on your booking are current, and don’t assume no news is good news this close to a schedule overhaul this large.

Know your rights if your flight is cancelled or rescheduled. Under DGCA’s existing passenger protection rules, airlines are generally required to either offer a full refund or rebook you on an alternate flight at no extra cost if they cancel or substantially reschedule your flight. If the change is made with very short notice, additional compensation may apply depending on the specific circumstances and how far in advance you were informed.

Build in extra buffer time if you’re flying around late October. With a major terminal transition and a 33% cut to international capacity happening simultaneously, congestion and schedule adjustments at the affected terminal are a reasonable thing to plan around, particularly in the days immediately surrounding October 25.

Consider your connecting flights carefully. If your Mumbai flight is one leg of a longer journey, a schedule change on this leg could affect your connection elsewhere. It’s worth checking whether your airline’s rebooking policy in this situation also protects a connecting flight, especially if it was booked separately.

If you haven’t booked yet, check before you do. If you’re planning international travel out of Mumbai for late October or beyond and haven’t booked yet, it’s worth confirming current flight availability and schedules directly with the airline rather than relying on fare search results that may not yet reflect the reduced capacity.

Is This Permanent?

It’s important to separate two different things happening here. Terminal 1’s closure for redevelopment is expected to last around four years, a genuinely long-term change. The 33% cut to international flight slots at T2, however, has specifically been described as a “temporary” discontinuation by sources familiar with the arrangement, tied to managing the transition period while domestic flights settle into T2. Exactly how long that temporary reduction lasts, whether it’s weeks, months, or longer, hasn’t been specified in current reporting, and it’s reasonable to expect further updates as the transition plays out and airport capacity adjusts.

The Bigger Picture for Mumbai Travel

Mumbai is one of India’s busiest gateway cities for international travel, and a 33% cut to international departure capacity, even a temporary one, is a significant enough change that it’s likely to have knock-on effects beyond just the specific flights being reduced. Expect some fare volatility on Mumbai international routes during this period, since reduced seat availability on popular routes can push prices up, particularly closer to peak travel dates. If you have flexibility in your travel dates or departure city, it may be worth comparing against flying out of Delhi or another major hub during the transition window, especially for routes where Mumbai capacity is being cut most heavily.

Common Mistakes Travellers Make During Airline Schedule Changes Like This

A frequent mistake is assuming a booking confirmation guarantees the original flight time and date will hold, when large-scale schedule changes like this one routinely affect bookings made well in advance. Another is waiting until just before the trip to check for updates, when airlines often push changes out weeks ahead, giving you more time to adjust plans, rebook, or claim a refund if needed. People also sometimes accept a rescheduled flight without checking whether it still works for their connecting flights or other travel plans, rather than contacting the airline to explore alternatives. And travellers occasionally assume compensation or rebooking rights don’t apply to schedule changes initiated for operational or infrastructure reasons, when DGCA’s passenger protections generally apply regardless of why the airline made the change.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Why is Mumbai airport cutting international flights from October 25? Terminal 1 is closing for redevelopment, and domestic flights currently based there need to shift to Terminal 2. To free up capacity for that shift, international carriers have been asked to reduce their T2 departure slots by about 33%.

2. How many international flights are being cut in total? Around 265 weekly international flights are being temporarily discontinued, out of roughly 770 weekly international flights currently operated from Terminal 2 by 46 airlines.

3. Which airline is cutting the most flights? IndiGo faces the largest reduction, with 74 weekly international flights being cut from its current schedule of around 224.

4. Is this change permanent? Terminal 1’s closure for redevelopment is expected to last around four years, but the 33% cut to international flight slots has been described as a temporary measure during the transition, with no specific end date confirmed yet.

5. What should I do if I have an international flight booked out of Mumbai after October 25? Check your specific flight’s status directly with your airline now, keep your contact details updated on the booking, and watch for official communication about any changes.

6. Am I entitled to a refund or rebooking if my flight is cancelled due to this change? Generally, yes. Under DGCA’s passenger protection rules, airlines are typically required to offer a full refund or rebook you on an alternate flight at no extra cost if they cancel or substantially change your flight.

7. Will this affect domestic flights too? The flight cuts specifically target international departures from Terminal 2. Domestic flights are being relocated from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 as part of the same transition, rather than being reduced.

8. Should I avoid booking Mumbai international flights for late October? Not necessarily, but it’s worth checking current availability and schedules directly with the airline, and building in extra buffer time, particularly for travel close to October 25.

Disclaimer

This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute travel or legal advice. Flight cancellations, schedules and the duration of this reduction are subject to change, and passengers should confirm the current status of their specific booking directly with their airline. FinanceChecks.com is not affiliated with CSMIA, IndiGo, Air India, or any airline mentioned in this article.

Last reviewed and fact-checked on October 1, 2026 by the FinanceChecks.com Editorial Team.