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Mumbai International Airport Ltd ‘s (MIAL) move to suspend freighter flights and cancel historic slots of airlines will cause a long lasting damage to the airport’s reputation and credibility, International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said.
Calling the airport’s actions deeply disappointing, IATA has also said it ignored existing guidelines on steps to be taken in case of a capacity reduction. IATA is a global airline body representing 340 carriers.
Last week MIAL informed airlines of its plan to suspend freighter flights from August 16. Airlines from West Asia were also told that their slots in the winter schedule would be cut citing construction of new taxiways and planned redevelopment of airport’s terminal 1. The airlines are resisting the move.
“IATA is surprised and deeply disappointed that MIAL has informed airlines of the unilateral cessation of cargo freighter flights, and a seemingly permanent withdrawal of historic slots 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. The discriminatory impact on cargo operations and on certain operators also raises the spectre of reciprocal impact under bilateral air services agreements,” John Middleton IATA’s head for worldwide airport slots said in a statement.
Middleton said there is existing international guidance to deal with temporary capacity reductions at airports, which calls for consultation and advance notice rather than the unilateral action taken in this case. MIAL has also failed to adhere to the civil aviation ministry’s guidelines for slot allocation, including its direction to preserve historic rights for future seasons.
IATA said it has urged the Mumbai airport to immediately withdraw these cuts and instead urgently engage with the airline industry in meaningful consultations to minimise disruptions to airline operations. “So far there have been zero details on how MIAL will manage the capacity reduction and mitigate the impact. This does not inspire confidence,” Middleton said.
Published on April 29, 2025
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