INDIA: Emirates May Fly from Navi Mumbai Airport Only If India Grants Additional Traffic Rights

MUMBAI, India

• Emirates will consider operating flights from Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI) only if it secures additional traffic rights and seat entitlements under India’s bilateral air service agreements.
• Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, senior vice-president for West Asia and Indian Ocean Commercial Operations at Emirates, said existing bilateral rights do not automatically extend to the new airport.

“We do not have additional rights, part of our air service agreements and entitlements to operate into any new airport or any new destination,” Ahmad said. “So until and unless we get more additional flights and we get additional seat entitlements, then we will definitely look at airports or multiple new airports that have come up,” he added.

• The discussion comes amid operator Adani Airports deciding to delay the transition of international flights from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) to Navi Mumbai airport until March 2027 following discussions with airlines. Previously, airlines were instructed to reduce international flights by 33 percent starting from October 2025. A working group will develop a plan for the redevelopment of Terminal 1 at Mumbai airport.
• Emirates puts 167 weekly flights into India, including 28 to Mumbai, amounting to 67,000 weekly seats across nine Indian destinations, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kochi, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, and Ahmedabad.

Sources:

• Hindustan Times
• Economic Times