# Emirates Flags Infrastructure Gaps at Navi Mumbai International Airport Emirates executive cites lack of essential catering and cargo facilities for international operations. - **Source:** [mint - industry](https://www.livemint.com/rss/industry) - **Published:** 2026-10-15 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/0cab641b-f3c3-48a8-b704-25ee258d1260 ## Infrastructure Readiness Concerns Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, senior vice-president at Emirates, stated that Navi Mumbai International Airport currently lacks critical infrastructure. Essential facilities for catering and cargo warehousing are not yet operational. Until the site develops into a fully functional aviation ecosystem, the airline considers it difficult to shift any international flight operations to the new location. ## Dispute Over Flight Shifts The Mumbai International Airport operator, MIAL, previously requested airlines to move 265 of 770 weekly international departures to Navi Mumbai by October 25. This proposal aimed to facilitate the redevelopment of Terminal 1. Airlines strongly opposed this move, leading to an escalation of the matter to the Ministry of Civil Aviation for resolution. ## Temporary Reprieve for Airlines Following intense industry opposition, MIAL held a meeting with airlines to address concerns regarding the relocation. The operator assured carriers that no international flights would be shifted to Navi Mumbai until at least the end of March. This delay provides a temporary window for the airport to address its current infrastructure deficiencies. ## Bilateral Entitlement Constraints Emirates operates at full capacity under existing bilateral air service agreements between India and the UAE. These agreements strictly define flight frequencies, seat counts, and authorized airports. Ahmad noted that even if the airport were ready, Emirates would require additional government-negotiated entitlements to launch services at Navi Mumbai or other new airports. ## Strategic Market Expansion Navi Mumbai could offer strategic access to markets closer to Pune, potentially benefiting Emirates' network. However, the airline maintains that operational expansion is contingent upon securing more seat capacity. Emirates currently holds entitlements for approximately 67,000 seats per week in each direction, which remains a limiting factor for any new route deployments. ## Delhi Route Upgrades Emirates continues to prioritize its Delhi operations, maintaining four daily flights from Dubai. Starting October 26, the airline will deploy an A380 on one of these daily services. The remaining three flights will utilize retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft, offering passengers upgraded cabin classes including first, business, premium-economy, and economy seating options. ## Global Recovery Trends Emirates reports that its global network capacity has recovered to 96% of pre-conflict levels, with passenger traffic reaching 93%. While services to India were initially impacted by regional tensions in West Asia, passenger load factors are currently recovering. The airline expects to provide more detailed performance data during its half-year results announcement in November. ## Current Indian Market Footprint According to Cirium data, Emirates operates 167 weekly flights from nine Indian destinations to Dubai. Mumbai remains the highest frequency hub with 35 weekly flights, followed by Delhi with 28. Other key hubs include Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. Total weekly frequency across India remains unchanged as of October 2025, reflecting stable operational commitments. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.livemint.com/industry/infrastructure/navi-mumbai-airport-not-ready-for-international-flights-emirates-flags-infrastructure-gaps-11792076275051.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._