Mumbai airport rejects IATA declare on slot cuts, halt in cargo flights | India Information – The Occasions of India
MUMBAI: Mumbai Airport on Thursday refuted a world airways grouping’s declare that the non-public airport operator’s plan to halt cargo flights and lower historic passenger flight slots was aimed toward pushing the airways towards its upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport. “Mumbai Worldwide Airport Ltd (MIAL) is dissatisfied by the assertion issued by the Worldwide Air Transport Affiliation (IATA) on twenty ninth April 2025 and strongly refutes its assertions,” MIAL stated in an announcement.
“Opposite to the claims made by IATA, the current changes to cargo operations and slot allocations at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Worldwide Airport (CSMIA) have adopted a clear, consultative and regulator-driven course of,” it stated.
These operational adjustments are a part of a broader infrastructure improve initiative ruled by the Airports Financial Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) as a part of the Fourth Management Interval overview, MIAL stated.
Worldwide Air Transport Ltd (IATA) earlier this week warned that the transfer might severely harm the airport’s status and credibility.
In a strongly worded assertion on Tuesday, IATA’s Head of Worldwide Airport Slots, John Middleton, known as on MIAL to reverse the cuts instantly and questioned whether or not operator Adani Airports was utilizing the state of affairs to push airways towards their upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport.
“We reject within the strongest phrases IATA’s insinuation that MIAL or Adani Airports is utilizing these operational changes to strain airways to shift to Navi Mumbai Worldwide Airport (NMIA),” MOSL stated in an announcement.
Stating that Navi Mumbai Worldwide Airport is a nationally vital infrastructure mission, envisioned in 1997 and below growth since 2018, it stated that consumer consultations for NMIA’s grasp planning have been held since March 2018, with participation from airways and IATA.
“Airways have full autonomy over community planning, and there was no try, both direct or oblique, to steer visitors from CSMIA to NMIA,” MIAL stated.
MIAL additionally asserted that it has actively engaged with stakeholders at each stage of the method and as a part of this an Airport Consumer Consultative Committee (AUCC) assembly was held on March 13 final 12 months the place it outlined its five-year growth plan, together with proposed airside enhancements.
AERA performed a public listening to on 25 March 25 (which was) attended by main stakeholders together with airways, cargo operators, trade associations and IATA, it stated.
MIAL additionally stated that AERA’s session paper on tariff and growth plans was printed on March 10 this 12 months with stakeholder feedback accepted via April 16 and counter-comments via April 26.
“This sequence of structured engagement clearly demonstrates that MIAL has not acted unilaterally, however in full compliance with nationwide regulatory frameworks and thru open session,” MIAL stated.
The infrastructure developments presently underway, resembling the development of a parallel taxiway for Runway 14/32, require short-term relocation of sure cargo amenities. These actions had been disclosed and mentioned throughout the AERA session course of and are a part of the Grasp Plan submitted to the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), following inputs from a number of stakeholders, as per the assertion.
“MIAL continues to respect worldwide finest practices, together with the rules issued by the Worldwide Airport Slot Board (WASB), and stays dedicated to sustaining honest and equitable coordination with all stakeholders,” the non-public operator stated.
The “operational rebalancing” underway is a strategic step aligned with the long-term progress of the Mumbai Metropolitan Area’s aviation infrastructure to reinforce security, cut back congestion and future-proof capability for each passengers and cargo, consistent with India’s nationwide growth goals, MIAL stated.
“We urge IATA to keep away from unsubstantiated assertions and, as an alternative, collaborate with us constructively to help India’s aviation ecosystem,” it stated.
