Mumbai is the one of the busiest airports in Asia, and lived with a constraint all along for zero space availability around the airport to be able to expand it. However, come January 15, there will be a new terminal 2 up and running, which is going to expand the capacity of the airport, to about 40 million passengers per annum, from the existing 32 million passengers capacity. Air India’s Newark-Mumbai flight will be the first to arrive at the new terminal.

The airport, which will initially serve international flights, will become an integrated terminal serving domestic flights as well by the end of this year. The new terminal will have 188 check-in counters and 60 immigration counters for departing passengers, as well as 10 baggage carousels and 76 immigration counters for arriving passengers. The current international terminal had 11 jetbridges, and the new terminal will straight away make this 70. There will be parking capacity for 5,200 cars as well. I’d managed to tour the airport while still under construction, and I am now looking forward to be able to take my first flight from this airport terminal.

The bad news, however, is for the premium and loyal passengers for various airlines such as Lufthansa/Star Alliance, British Airways/oneworld, Emirates & Air India, who have not been allowed to open their own separate lounges in this airport, but will rather have to depend on the airport operator who has built one massive lounge for all airlines who want to provide lounge access to their passengers.

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