New Delhi: At least 10 smaller Gulf carriers have had their requests for slots at Mumbai airport rejected, with the Adani-operated airport requiring airlines to shift to Navi Mumbai on the pretext of renovation work, according to airline sources.
The Carriers Affected
The airlines include Oman Air, Bahrain’s Gulf Air, Sharjah-based Air Arabia, Kuwait Airways and Jazeera Airways from Kuwait, Doha-based Qatar Airways, and four carriers from Saudi Arabia — Flyadeal, Flynas, Riyadh Air and Saudia.
The Route Shift
The development comes as Mumbai airport plans to suspend flights to 14 international destinations, which will be served from Navi Mumbai. Those destinations are: Bahrain, Dammam, Dhaka, Doha, Fujairah, Jakarta, Jeddah, Kathmandu, Kuwait City, Madinah, Muscat, Ras Al Khaimah, Riyadh and Sharjah.
What Remains Unclear
The report, based on information from airline sources, did not include a response from the Mumbai airport operator, the Ministry of Civil Aviation or any of the affected carriers. No timeline was given for when the route suspensions would take effect or how long the renovation work is expected to last.
