Mumbai: Mumbai’s long-standing disadvantage in international air connectivity compared with Delhi is expected to ease with the opening of Navi Mumbai International Airport’s international terminal, although industry executives say that a meaningful expansion of overseas routes will take time.While Delhi offers direct flights to around 70 international destinations, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport has non-stop connectivity to about 50 foreign cities, said a source. Flying from Mumbai then is no different than flying from, say, Mangalore or Madurai, when it comes to cities like Beijing, Guangzhou, Toronto, Milan, Sydney, Warsaw, Helsinki, Moscow, Birmingham, Manila, Phnom Penh (Cambodia), Krabi, Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tajikistan), Ashgabat (Turkmenistan), Namangan (Uzbekistan), Yangon (Myanmar) or Bagdad. The passenger from Mumbai has to transit either from Delhi or a foreign airport.“The gap is because of a number of reasons, slot constraint at the congested Mumbai airport being one of them. Factors like bilateral air service agreements, which cap the number of flights airlines can operate between countries and aircraft availability have also influenced network planning, often making Delhi the preferred gateway for international expansion,” said an airline official, adding that the addition of capacity at Navi Mumbai removes at least the slot constraint.However, passengers should not expect an immediate explosion of new long-haul services. “Elevated crude oil prices have increased operating costs, while airspace restrictions arising from ongoing conflicts have forced airlines to take longer routings on several international sectors, making new routes more expensive and operationally challenging. Airlines are likely to expand cautiously, prioritising routes with proven demand and sustainable yields before venturing into thinner markets,” said the official.Over the longer term, aviation executives expect Navi Mumbai to strengthen the Mumbai Metropolitan Region’s (MMR’s) position as an international gateway. “As airlines receive more aircraft, operating conditions improve and bilateral rights are expanded, the MMR is expected to attract a broader network of non-stop international services, reducing dependence on Delhi and foreign hubs for global connectivity,” the official said.Mumbai’s major loss in terms of international connectivity happened over 15 years ago when Air India moved its base from the city to Delhi and stopped its non-stop flights from Mumbai to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Frankfurt, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka, Hong Kong, Chicago, New York, Nairobi, Durban, and Dar es Salaam. “Foreign airlines continued to operate some of these routes and in the following years, Air India and other carriers restored some of these routes, but the gap hasn’t yet been closed,” he added.
