Aaditya Thackeray accuses BJP govt of trying to ‘finish off’ Mumbai airport over flight cuts

Shiv Sena UBT leader Aaditya Thackeray has alleged that the BJPled government is attempting to finish off Mumbais Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport by reducing its international flight capacity arguing that the move could weaken the citys connectivity with the rest of the worldThackerays remarks came amid a dispute between airlines and Mumbai International Airport Ltd MIAL over a proposed reduction in international departure slots at Terminal 2 T2 MIAL has asked airlines to temporarily discontinue 265 of the 770 weekly international departure slots at T2 from October 25 amounting to a reduction of about 33 per cent The airport operator has said the capacity is needed to accommodate additional domestic operations during the redevelopment of Terminal 1 T1Thackeray links airport changes to wider concerns over MumbaiReacting to reports that airlines have opposed the proposed reduction Thackeray accused the BJPled government of pursuing policies that he claimed were weakening Mumbais position as an economic and international hubIn a post on X on Saturday he said the BJP regime that ushered in Indias Lost Decade had seen several companies manufacturers and even the International Financial Services Centre being forced out of MumbaiHe also claimed that this had adversely affected the wider Indian economyNow by finishing off our airport the BJP intends to finish Mumbais ability to connect with the world intentionally he saidThackerays comments come as airlines have raised objections to the proposed reduction in international slots citing the timing of the change and its potential impact on existing flight schedules and passengers Reports said airlines have pointed out that the winter schedule had already been approved and that carriers had made operational and passenger commitments based on that scheduleAirlines oppose proposed 33 per cent slot reductionThe proposed reduction would affect 46 airlines operating international services from Mumbai IndiGo would face the largest reduction with 74 weekly international departure slots affected while Air India would face a reduction of 33 Other airlines facing cuts include Akasa Air Air India Express and SpiceJet Foreign carriers such as Emirates and Etihad Airways are also among those affectedAirlines have reportedly objected to what they consider a lack of meaningful consultation over the proposed changes They have said they support the redevelopment of T1 but have not agreed to flight cancellations or a unilateral reduction in T2 operations Airlines have also sought greater clarity on how the proposed 33 per cent reduction was determined and have asked for discussions with the airport operator and the governmentThe Civil Aviation Ministry is scheduled to meet airline representatives and MIAL on October 6 to discuss the dispute over the proposed operational changes and the shifting of flights between the two airports serving the Mumbai metropolitan regionTerminal 1 redevelopment behind capacity changesThe proposed reduction in international operations is linked to the planned redevelopment of Mumbai airports Terminal 1 which currently handles domestic traffic MIAL plans to use capacity at T2 to accommodate some of the domestic operations affected by the redevelopmentThe airport operator has said the redevelopment is intended to address infrastructure and capacity requirements at T1 Adani Airports has previously said the redevelopment of T1 is expected to increase its annual capacity to about 20 million passengersRecent reports said the first phase will involve the redevelopment of the northern section of Terminal 1B which accounts for roughly onethird of T1s capacity The operational changes are therefore being presented by the airport operator as a temporary measure linked to the redevelopment rather than a permanent withdrawal of international connectivity from MumbaiThackeray questions role of Navi Mumbai airportThackeray also criticised the way Navi Mumbai International Airport is being brought into the operational plan arguing that it should supplement Mumbai airport rather than become a substitute for services currently operating from the cityThe DB Patil International Airport in Navi Mumbai is supposed to be a 1 airport not a way to simply push passengers to discomfort and fleece themkind of an airport Who is this loot being facilitated for Thackeray saidNavi Mumbai International Airport is being developed as a second airport for the Mumbai metropolitan region Its operator says the airport is designed to handle 20 million passengers annually in its initial phaseWith inputs from PTI