TBM Staff - Mumbai
In a favorable measure for commercial jet and private airline operators, Mumbai Airport has eased the previous two-hour nighttime restriction that prohibited operations between 9:15 PM and 11:15 PM. Announced on Tuesday via an official notice, this relaxation modifies the limitations such that constraints now solely affect business jets during morning hours from 8 AM to 10 AM and evening hours from 5 PM to 7:30 PM.
Flights transporting Very Important Persons (VVIPs) remain exempt from these rules. This move comes after recent changes extended the duration of restricted operation times for business jets from four to eight hours per day, which had been met with opposition from charter firms.
Additionally, alongside increasing operational limits, daily slot allocations for takeoffs and landings decreased—from 46 to 44 during busy periods and further reduced from 44 to 42 outside those high traffic windows. Such adjustments aimed to alleviate overcrowding and minimize delay issues but led to approximately forty canceled flights every day.
Mumbai airport ends night curfew, opening door for wider charter operations
RK Bali, managing director of the Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA), expressed approval regarding the government’s choice to lift extra restraints imposed upon corporate planes operating out of Mumbai. He emphasised how acknowledging the sector’s contribution towards economic growth aligns well with fostering better national connections. Furthermore, Bali highlighted BAOA’s dedication toward collaborating closely with both public authorities and relevant industries as they address existing structural difficulties within India’s civil aviation landscape.
