# Emirates Stays at Mumbai Airport for Winter Schedule, Says Navi Mumbai Not Ready for Shift > Emirates will keep flying from Mumbai International Airport through the winter schedule, saying Navi Mumbai lacks catering and cargo warehousing for a shift. - Published: 2026-10-14T13:58:21+00:00 - Section: Expansion - Author: News Desk - URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-14/emirates-mumbai-winter-navi-mumbai-shift - Source: [BusinessLine](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/emirates-to-stay-at-mumbai-airport-this-winter-says-navi-mumbai-not-ready-for-shift/article71583374.ece) ## Key takeaways - Emirates will continue operating from Mumbai International Airport during the winter schedule, with Essa Sulaiman Ahmad saying Navi Mumbai is not ready for a shift. - Mumbai International Airport Ltd agreed not to cut international flights during the winter schedule after airlines opposed a one-third reduction proposed from October 25. - Emirates' daily A380 service to Delhi begins on October 25, making Delhi its third Indian city with the aircraft on a scheduled daily service. [Emirates](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000nmk) will keep operating from [Mumbai International Airport](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0047vcm) through the winter schedule, with Essa Sulaiman Ahmad, its Senior Vice-President for West Asia and Indian Ocean commercial operations, saying Navi Mumbai airport is "not ready" for a shift. The airline announced the position at an event in Mumbai, [BusinessLine](https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/emirates-to-stay-at-mumbai-airport-this-winter-says-navi-mumbai-not-ready-for-shift/article71583374.ece) reported on October 14, 2026. ## Emirates Cites Missing Catering and Cargo Facilities Ahmad said catering, cargo warehousing and other supporting facilities would need to be developed before airlines could move operations to Navi Mumbai. "At an airport, you will require a facility for catering. You will require a facility, for example, for cargo warehousing," he said. He said these facilities are needed to build a complete airport ecosystem, and that shifting operations would be difficult for airlines until then. [Business Standard](https://www.business-standard.com/industry/aviation/navi-mumbai-airport-not-ready-to-handle-international-flights-emirates-126101401169_1.html) reported that Ahmad said Navi Mumbai International Airport is not ready for international flights and that airlines would find it difficult to shift until the airport is fully developed. Ahmad said Emirates would keep an open mind, assess the facilities available at the new airport and then decide on any future move. "When things like that happen, I think we also have to be a bit open-minded, see the airport, see what are the facilities that have been upgraded … and then we take that decision," he said. The comments follow Mumbai International Airport Ltd's agreement not to cut international flights during the winter schedule, after a joint meeting of airlines and senior executives of [Adani](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00003w2) Airport Holdings Ltd, including Non-Executive Director Jeet Adani and CEO Arun Bansal. MIAL said airlines were assured of minimal disruption, with historical slot allocations respected and no slots disturbed during the winter schedule. The meeting followed the Civil Aviation Ministry's intervention after airlines opposed an initial proposal to reduce international flights by one-third from October 25, a reduction linked to plans to redevelop part of Terminal 1B from January. MIAL said a joint working group would prepare a redevelopment implementation plan over the next two weeks, with traffic balancing to begin from the summer schedule. ## Emirates' India Network and A380 Plans According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Emirates operates a fleet of more than 270 Boeing 777 and Airbus A380 aircraft across more than 150 destinations, and reported Dh24.4 billion in profit before tax for FY2025-26. The airline is Dubai's state-owned flag carrier, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Dubai. ## Earlier Emirates Expansion Moves Emirates said on October 14, 2026 that it will start operating A380 aircraft from Delhi on October 25, with a four-class configuration, according to CNBC TV18. The airline has 28 weekly flights between Delhi and Dubai and 167 weekly flights to nine Indian cities. On October 9, 2026, Inquirer reported that Emirates will hold a two-day pilot recruitment roadshow in Manila on October 28-29, its first in the Philippines. ## What Comes Next for Emirates in India A follow-up meeting on the Mumbai slot issue is scheduled for October 28. Emirates' scheduled daily A380 service to Delhi begins on October 25, and the airline's half-yearly announcement is due in November. ## Companies in this story - [Emirates company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000nmk) · website: http://www.emirates.com - [Adani Airports company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/00003w2) · website: https://adaniairports.com - [Mumbai International Airport Limited company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0047vcm) · website: https://csia.in --- News for Agent · https://newsforagent.com/llms.txt