Aaditya Thackeray Slams BJP Govt Over Plan to Cut Mumbai Airport International Slots

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray has accused the BJP-led government of attempting to "finish off" Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, alleging that a planned reduction in international flight capacity will harm the city's global connectivity.

Thackeray made the remarks amid an emerging dispute between commercial airlines and airport operator Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) over a proposed cut in international departure slots at Terminal 2 (T2).

Under the plan, MIAL has instructed airlines to temporarily discontinue 265 out of the 770 weekly international departure slots operating from Terminal 2. The cut amounts to a reduction of approximately 33 per cent in scheduled international departures.

The proposed slot reductions are scheduled to take effect from October 25. MIAL has stated that freeing up this capacity is necessary to accommodate additional domestic operations while redevelopment work is carried out at Terminal 1 (T1).

Thackeray argued that cutting back international capacity at the facility would weaken Mumbai's connectivity with the rest of the world, criticising the ruling government over the move.