Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray on Wednesday urged the Centre to intervene in the proposed redevelopment of Terminal 1 (T1) of Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), saying it should be repaired or rebuilt without forcing airlines and passengers to shift operations to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The proposal has been opposed by airlines. “The Union Regime’s Minister for Civil Aviation must step in and speak up on the Mumbai Airport T1 issue now! Adani Airport Holdings Ltd (AAHL), which operates both Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airports, has asked airlines to shift 33 per cent of their international flights from CSMIA’s Terminal 2 to NMIA or discontinue them by October 25, according to news agency PTI.
Thackeray said the existing T1 was built relatively recently and argued that any required upgrades should be carried out without causing inconvenience or imposing additional costs on passengers. Our demand is simple: Repair/refurbish/rebuild the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport-T1 (in Mumbai) without forcing airlines and passengers to move to DB Patil International Airport – Navi Mumbai,” Thackeray said in a post on X.
The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday advised AAHL to delay the proposed partial shifting of international flights from CSMIA to NMIA. Thackeray, the Opposition MLA from Worli, also criticised the management of the airport, alleging that there had been chaos in crowd management and increased commercialisation of facilities. “After the (airport) management was made to change hands, one anyway sees chaos in crowd management, and commercialisation of almost every little thing at the airport now – even parking charges per hour are astronomical!
Fleecing is on anyway,” he said. “And now the forced shift to Navi Mumbai (airport), with or without any ground connectivity, is still only a way to shut down T1 for 4 years as first claimed by the owner, and then possibly totally shift things to Navi Mumbai and finish off Mumbai’s connect and ease of connect with the world,” he said. The ministry said discussions would be held to work out a transition plan.
