# Foreign airlines challenge Mumbai airport slots after Adani blocks 12 carriers

> Twelve Gulf airlines demand restoration of Mumbai summer 2027 flight slots after Adani Airport cuts capacity.
- Title: Foreign airlines challenge Mumbai airport slots after Adani…
- Summary: Twelve Gulf airlines demand restoration of Mumbai summer 2027 flight slots after Adani Airport cuts capacity.
- Keywords: mumbai international airport, adani airport holdings, airline operators committee, civil aviation ministry, gulf airlines, terminal 1, terminal 2, navi mumbai, flight slots, capacity reduction, international airlines, airlines
- Source: mint — https://livemint.com/news/foreign-carriers-take-fight-to-aviation-min-after-adani-blocks-12-airlines-11793969339931.html
- Author: Abhishek Law
- Published: 2026-11-06T15:13:40+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: mumbai international airport, adani airport holdings, airline operators committee, civil aviation ministry, gulf airlines, terminal 1, terminal 2, navi mumbai, flight slots, capacity reduction, international airlines, airlines
## Foreign airlines appeal to ministry
Twelve foreign airlines, almost all from the Gulf and West Asia, asked the civil aviation ministry to undo Mumbai airport’s refusal of take-off and landing slots next summer.

> Kindly advise MIAL to reconsider its decision and restore all the historical slots of the affected Airlines for NS-27 (Northern Summer)
## MIAL blocks 12 airlines' slots
Mumbai International Airport Ltd found room for 38 of 50 international airlines but none for the other 12, which fly 112 weekly departures.
## 12 airlines affected
The 12 airlines include Oman Air, Gulf Air, Air Arabia, Kuwait Airways, and Qatar Airways, serving 14 destinations including Bahrain and Doha.
## MIAL claims capacity drop
MIAL says capacity will drop by five million passengers yearly from summer 2027, requiring airlines to shift operations temporarily.
## Airlines question capacity reduction
Airlines argue Terminal 1 handles fewer than ten million passengers annually, significantly below its installed capacity of fifteen million.
## MIAL's capacity justification
MIAL claims Terminal 1 handled 55 million passengers in FY26, including 38 million domestic and 17 million international flights.
## Airlines demand slot restoration
The Airline Operators Committee wants MIAL to restore historical slots for NS-27, the northern summer 2027 schedule starting April.
## MIAL's expansion timeline
MIAL promised to restore old slots once Terminal 2’s expansion is complete after temporarily moving flights to Navi Mumbai.
## Foreign airlines resist shift
Foreign airlines continue resisting the shift to Navi Mumbai, citing distance, connectivity concerns, and disruption to established operations.
## Key takeaway

Twelve foreign airlines lost Mumbai summer 2027 slots and appealed to the government to restore them.