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Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) has assured airlines that their historical slot allocations will remain unchanged during the winter schedule, as it works on a plan to redevelop the ageing Terminal 1 (T1) infrastructure while minimising operational disruptions.
In a statement on Tuesday, MIAL said Jeet Adani and Arun Bansal met the airports Airline Operators Committee (AOC) and assured the airline community that existing slots would be respected and no changes would be made during the winter schedule. The meeing also led to the formation of a joint working group that will prepare an implementation plan for the redevelopment of T1 over the next two weeks. Airlines have committed to supporting the redevelopment, with traffic-balancing measures scheduled to begin from the summer schedule. MIAL also assured full support to airlines seeking to shift some of their operations to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA). The airport operator said both sides had agreed to hold a follow-up meeting on October 28 and engage with individual airlines network and slot teams in the interim. They have assured the airline community of minimisation of disruption and have assured them of fully respecting historical slots allocations. They have further given a commitment not to disturb any slots for the winter schedule, the MIAL spokesperson said in the note. The spokesperson said the meeting concluded with both sides expressing a renewed commitment to developing Mumbai Airport to the standard expected by Mumbaikars. The latest assurances follow a dispute last week over MIALs proposal to shift 265 of Mumbai airports 770 weekly international departures to NMIA from October 25 to facilitate the redevelopment of T1. The proposed move would have freed up capacity at Terminal 2 to accommodate domestic operations affected by the redevelopment. The plan faced resistance from airlines concerned about disruptions to their winter schedules and the operational implications of shifting flights between the two airports. The Ministry of Civil Aviation subsequently intervened and asked the airport operator to defer the proposed changes while stakeholders worked towards a coordinated plan. The joint working group is expected to prepare the redevelopment plan over the next fortnight, with further discussions scheduled for October 28. (ANI)
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