IATA accuses Mumbai Airport operator of 'capacity gaming' amid passenger slot cuts

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has hit out at Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) for its plan to halt cargo freighter flights and cut historic passenger flight slots, warning the move could seriously damage the airport’s reputation and credibility.

In a strongly worded statement on Tuesday, IATA’s Head of Worldwide Airport Slots, John Middleton, called on MIAL to reverse the cuts immediately and questioned whether operator Adani Airports was using the situation to push airlines toward their upcoming Navi Mumbai Airport.

“We fear... this is an example of airport “capacity gaming” which will harm aviation throughout India and beyond,” Middleton said.

He warned the move could violate bilateral air service agreements due to its "discriminatory impact on cargo operations and on certain operators" and urged central and state authorities to intervene.

"We urge the central and state governments to ensure that capacity reductions unilaterally mandated by the airport operator are disallowed, since this would adversely impact Mumbai's air-connectivity, and disrupt passenger and cargo operations at this important gateway airport," he said.

IATA cited international guidelines requiring consultation to deal with temporary capacity reductions at airports, which it says MIAL ignored, along with ministry of civil aviation guidelines for slot allocation.

The association has urged MIAL to immediately withdraw these cuts and instead urgently engage with the airline industry in meaningful consultations to minimise disruptions to airline operations, inconvenience to passengers, and loss of air connectivity for Mumbai.

"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.

IATA also asked MIAL to implement protocols for transparent communication between the airport and airlines and develop clear guidelines for the fair distribution of capacity reductions across affected airlines as part of these suggestions.