Mumbai airport passengers flying on either Air India Express or Akasa Air will need to pay close attention to their boarding passes shortly. Beginning August 1, 2026, Akasa Air will shift all its operations at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Terminal 2, marking one of the biggest terminal reshuffles at the airport in recent years. Air India Express will make a move into Terminal 1 on October 1, 2026 for its domestic flights.
The move is part of a broader rationalisation of operations at Mumbai Airport as it prepares for the next phase of its evolution, including the gradual opening up of Navi Mumbai International Airport and a rebalancing of airline operations across terminals.
#PassengerAdvisory@AkasaAir @AirIndiaX pic.twitter.com/xtrlt85lkL
— Mumbai Airport (@CSMIA_Official) July 17, 2026
Akasa Air confirms complete move to Terminal 2
Akasa Air today confirmed that all of its domestic and international operations at Mumbai will shift to Terminal 2 effective August 1, 2026.
According to the airline, the move has been made to enhance customer convenience and deliver a more seamless airport experience. Akasa has asked passengers to verify their terminal before travel, use online check-in wherever possible, and has begun proactively informing customers through multiple communication channels about the change.
Since launching in August 2022, Mumbai has been Akasa Air’s largest base, and the airline currently serves 36 destinations (29 domestic and seven international) with a fleet of 40 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. Operating entirely from Terminal 2 will also simplify connections for passengers travelling onwards on the airline’s growing international network.
Air India Express Domestic Operations headed to Terminal 1
While Air India Express has not yet issued a standalone press release, the airline is also set to move all of its Mumbai operations from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 from October 1, 2026, as confirmed by airport authorities.
For Air India Express, the move is significant because Mumbai has increasingly become one of the airline’s largest operational bases following the merger of AirAsia India into the carrier and the ongoing transfer of domestic routes from Air India to Air India Express under the Tata Group’s network restructuring.
So, it beats me why the integrated network at T2 is being broken up, and Air India Express is being moved to Terminal 1 after all these years. This would definitely increase Minimum Connection Times and make it a little more spicy for those booked with international x domestic connections to not want to book Air India.
Why is Mumbai Airport reshuffling terminals?
The terminal changes are not happening in isolation. For years, Mumbai Airport has split domestic traffic between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Terminal 1 has traditionally been home to airlines such as IndiGo (partially), Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air, while Terminal 2 has handled all international services along with Air India, Vistara (before its merger into Air India), and selected domestic operations.
However, the landscape has changed dramatically over the past couple of years. Following the merger of Vistara into Air India, Terminal 2 has effectively become the Tata Group’s primary hub in Mumbai. Air India already operates all of its domestic and international flights from Terminal 2.
Sometime back, there was an attempt to move airlines out of Terminal 1 and over to the Navi Mumbai Airport so that NMI became more occupied and Adani Airports could raze Terminal 1 BOM to the ground and bring up a newer terminal there.
What passengers should know?
If you’re travelling on Air India Express or Akasa Air from Mumbai, double-check your booking confirmation and boarding pass before heading to the airport.
Passengers should also ensure their contact details are updated in their booking so that airlines can communicate any terminal-related information directly. Both carriers are encouraging travellers to complete web check-in before arriving at the airport to minimise delays.
For travellers who frequently use Mumbai Airport, this is another reminder that terminal assignments are continuing to evolve as the city’s airport ecosystem prepares for a two-airport future.
Bottomline
From August 1, 2026, Mumbai Airport’s Terminal 2 will become home to Akasa Air, and on October 1, Air India Express will move to Terminal 1. The changes make it complex for Tata Group airline passengers, but give Akasa Air access to Mumbai’s flagship terminal and form part of the broader reshaping of Mumbai’s aviation infrastructure ahead of Navi Mumbai Airport’s expansion. If you’re flying after August 1, make sure to keep up with the changes
What do you think of the roulette being played with airlines at Mumbai Airport?
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Mind-boggling decision by the AI management.
On the one hand, they’re pushing backend integration between AI and AIX (loyalty earn and burn, issuance of through tickets etc), and on the other, they’re creating operational headaches for themselves and the passengers.
As you pointed out, pax will rethink about booking connecting flights with AI in BOM.
If done due to issues with the airport operator, AI should have pushed back considering they’re the hub operator; and if done for internal considerations, it just proves that all the recent talk about being customer-oriented doesn’t translate into action on ground
Smh
I don’t think this is a decision made out of free will though not aware of the full situation and what went down
Yes they are shooting themselves in the feet