Mumbai Airport to Reduce Flights, Business Jet Movements Amid Congestion Woes

14 Feb 2024 CW Team

The Airport Authority of India, responsible for air navigation services, has mandated a reduction in aircraft movements from 46 to 44 during rush hours and from 44 to 42 during non-peak times.

This move is anticipated to compel airlines to slash approximately 40 flights starting midweek. IndiGo, holding the largest share of flights, faces a cut of 18 flights, while the Air India group, including Vistara, must trim 17.

Simultaneously, the curfew on business jet operations has been extended from four to eight hours, triggering objections from major corporate entities such as Reliance Industries, JSW, and the Mahindra group.

Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), operated by the Adani group, refrained from commenting at the time of press.

As the second busiest airport in India after Delhi, Mumbai airport witnesses substantial business jet traffic alongside its operational challenges. December marked its highest monthly traffic of 4.88 million passengers, underscoring the urgency for congestion mitigation measures.

The decision stemmed from concerns raised by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia regarding the declining on-time departure rates at the airport.

Senior air traffic controllers attribute the delays primarily to airline overscheduling amidst escalating air travel demand this year. They highlighted that runway capacity encompasses various factors, including infrastructure availability and aircraft turnaround time.

Furthermore, the government has urged airports to incorporate unforeseen circumstances into peak-hour capacity forecasts from the upcoming summer schedule.

However, airline network planners lamented that sudden flight cancellations hindered their ability to reallocate aircraft, resulting in financial losses and passenger compensation payouts.

Rajesh Bali, Managing Director of the Business Aircraft Operator Association, expressed concern over the additional restrictions on business jets, emphasizing their crucial role in corporate travel. He warned that such limitations could adversely affect Mumbai's status as the nation's commercial hub.

Since the COVID-19 recovery, air traffic has surged, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, exacerbating congestion issues across major airports. To address security concerns, the Aviation security regulator BCAS has stipulated that any increase in flights must align with passenger-handling capacity at security checkpoints, setting specific standards for throughput.

The government's directives aim to strike a balance between facilitating air travel growth and ensuring operational efficiency, although they face resistance from both airlines and corporate aviation stakeholders grappling with the ramifications of these measures.

In a bid to alleviate congestion and improve on-time performance, the government has instructed Mumbai airport to scale back the number of scheduled flights and curb the movement of business jets, particularly during peak hours. However, this directive is expected to impact around 40 flights and disrupt operations for private jets utilized by some of the nation's prominent business conglomerates.The Airport Authority of India, responsible for air navigation services, has mandated a reduction in aircraft movements from 46 to 44 during rush hours and from 44 to 42 during non-peak times.This move is anticipated to compel airlines to slash approximately 40 flights starting midweek. IndiGo, holding the largest share of flights, faces a cut of 18 flights, while the Air India group, including Vistara, must trim 17. Simultaneously, the curfew on business jet operations has been extended from four to eight hours, triggering objections from major corporate entities such as Reliance Industries, JSW, and the Mahindra group.Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), operated by the Adani group, refrained from commenting at the time of press.As the second busiest airport in India after Delhi, Mumbai airport witnesses substantial business jet traffic alongside its operational challenges. December marked its highest monthly traffic of 4.88 million passengers, underscoring the urgency for congestion mitigation measures.The decision stemmed from concerns raised by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia regarding the declining on-time departure rates at the airport.Senior air traffic controllers attribute the delays primarily to airline overscheduling amidst escalating air travel demand this year. They highlighted that runway capacity encompasses various factors, including infrastructure availability and aircraft turnaround time.Furthermore, the government has urged airports to incorporate unforeseen circumstances into peak-hour capacity forecasts from the upcoming summer schedule.However, airline network planners lamented that sudden flight cancellations hindered their ability to reallocate aircraft, resulting in financial losses and passenger compensation payouts.Rajesh Bali, Managing Director of the Business Aircraft Operator Association, expressed concern over the additional restrictions on business jets, emphasizing their crucial role in corporate travel. He warned that such limitations could adversely affect Mumbai's status as the nation's commercial hub.Since the COVID-19 recovery, air traffic has surged, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, exacerbating congestion issues across major airports. To address security concerns, the Aviation security regulator BCAS has stipulated that any increase in flights must align with passenger-handling capacity at security checkpoints, setting specific standards for throughput.The government's directives aim to strike a balance between facilitating air travel growth and ensuring operational efficiency, although they face resistance from both airlines and corporate aviation stakeholders grappling with the ramifications of these measures.

Infrastructure Urban

07 Nov 2025

Welspun Enterprises Wins 910 MLD Panjrapur WTP Contract

Welspun Enterprises (WEL), the infrastructure and energy arm of Welspun World, has secured a major contract from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to design, build and operate a 910 million litres per day (MLD) Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Panjrapur, Maharashtra.Valued at approximately Rs 31.45 billion, the project encompasses end-to-end civil, mechanical, electrical and instrumentation works, including the construction of a treated water sump and pumping station. Of the total value, nearly Rs 11.56 billion is allocated to Operations & Maintenance (O&M), with an additional..

Infrastructure Energy

07 Nov 2025

Mitsubishi Power Wins Boiler Upgrade Contract for O Mon 1 Plant

Mitsubishi Power, a power solutions brand of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, (MHI), has been awarded a contract to support the oil-to-natural-gas fuel conversion at the O Mon 1 Thermal Power Plant in Can Tho, southern Vietnam. As the OEM of the plant’s existing boiler, Mitsubishi Power will supply key equipment—including new gas burners—and implement a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to reduce NOx emissions and help the plant meet stricter environmental standards.The O Mon 1 facility includes two 330 MW units that commenced operations in 2009 and 2015, with all major equipment or..

Equipment

07 Nov 2025

Liebherr’s 10,000th XPower Wheel Loader Joins BERGER’s Fleet

BERGER Rohstoffe GmbH has welcomed the 10,000th Liebherr XPower wheel loader to its operations at the Schlag granite quarry in Passau. The milestone machine, officially handed over at Liebherr’s Bischofshofen plant in May 2025, underscores the long-standing partnership between BERGER, Liebherr, and the Beutlhauser Group. Equipped with Liebherr’s signature power-split travel drive, the new L 580 XPower is already delivering strong results under demanding quarry conditions.At the Schlag quarry, BERGER Rohstoffe processes approximately 200,000 tonnes of Bayerwald granite annually into high-qu..