Akasa Air plans to shift its Jeddah flights to Navi Mumbai International Airport from December. (File Photo)Akasa Air will move its Jeddah flights from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) to Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) from December, the airline said on Tuesday. It will be Akasa’s first international route out of the new airport.The announcement, made jointly with Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), which operates both airports, comes as AAHL faces pushback from other airlines over its plan to move international traffic away from CSMIA. IndiGo and the Air India group have also said they plan to shift some international operations to Navi Mumbai.AAHL has described the move as a step towards a “dual-airport system” for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with flights split between the two airports.What AAHL has proposedAAHL has proposed cutting 265 of CSMIA’s 770 weekly international flights under the summer 2027 schedule, ahead of the partial redevelopment of the airport’s Terminal 1. The affected flights would either move to NMIA or be suspended until the redevelopment is complete. Under the plan, Akasa faced the suspension of 11 of its 32 weekly international departures from CSMIA’s Terminal 2.Why airlines are objectingThe Airline Operators Committee (AOC) Mumbai has questioned the case for reducing or cancelling existing slots. It says AAHL has not given adequate evidence for the changes. Any reallocation “should be supported by verifiable capacity assessments, operational data, and a clear, evidence-based justification,” the committee has said.The resistance has come mainly from international carriers. AAHL has since written to airlines again, repeating its proposal. Airport officials and airlines are expected to discuss the plan at a meeting on October 28.