IATA strongly resists Mum airport slot reduction plan

Mumbai: Airlines trade body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has criticised the Mumbai airport operator's recent announcement to reduce the take-off/landing slots granted to airlines at the Mumbai airport and transfer these to the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport. Mumbai airport's terminal 1 will be demolished around Oct end and to make for the reduced terminal capacity, 150 slots will be moved from Mumbai to Navi Mumbai airport, which is expected to be commissioned by that time, said sources.
John Middleton, IATA's head for worldwide airport slots, said: "IATA is surprised and deeply disappointed that Mumbai International Airport Limited has informed airlines of a seemingly permanent withdrawal of historic slots for passenger airlines beginning next season. This is not what one would expect of a major hub airport in India, and will cause long-lasting damage to the airport's reputation and credibility." He added that Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) has given no details on how will it manage the capacity reduction and mitigate the impact. IATA expressed serious concerns about the unilateral nature of this decision and its potential implications for Mumbai's air connectivity. "We hope Adani Airports, as the operator of the two-airport system in Mumbai, is not using this situation to pressure airlines to move their operations to their upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport," Middleton said.
The association has called for immediate withdrawal of the proposed cuts and urged MIAL to engage in meaningful consultations with the airline industry.
IATA also expressed "surprise and disappointment" at MIAL's decision to temporarily suspend cargo freighter flights from August 16. Middleton called it a unilateral decision and urged the central and state govts to ensure that the two decisions, to reduce slots and suspend cargo flights be disallowed.