Terminals 1 & 2
Two terminals, five kilometres apart, on opposite sides of the runways. Getting this right is the single most important thing you can do before you travel.
All international, plus a lot of domestic
450,000 m² over four levels, designed for 40 million passengers a year. Every international flight uses T2, as do Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air and a large share of IndiGo's domestic network.
Terminal 2 in detailDomestic only, and smaller
Mumbai's original integrated terminal, now handling domestic low-cost operations through piers 1B and 1C. Around 15 million passengers a year, with 11 boarding bridges.
Terminal 1 in detailSahar — the international terminal
Opened to international traffic in February 2014 and to domestic flights in January 2015, T2 replaced three ageing terminals with a single X-shaped building by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. It cost around ₹98 billion.
How the levels work
Almost every official direction you will be given at T2 is expressed as a level number. Learn these four and the terminal becomes straightforward.
| Level | What is there | You will need it for |
|---|---|---|
| Level 4 | International departures — check-in, immigration, the international security hold area | Duty free, the main food court, the premium lounges, prayer rooms near gates 47 and 65 |
| Level 3 | Domestic departures and the pre-immigration departures concourse | Domestic gates 81–88, the Amex lounge, Meghavi spa, most domestic retail |
| Level 2 | Arrivals hall — baggage reclaim, arrivals lounges, forex desks | Aviserv lounges and sleeping pods, currency exchange, arrivals information desks |
| Level 1 | Ground transportation, inside the multi-level car park | Prepaid taxis, Ola, buses, the free inter-terminal shuttle, left luggage, car rental — all at bay P4 |
Aircraft stands
Opened with 48 stands including three Code F bays sized for the A380; the final phase takes it to 72. Twenty-nine gates serve the two southern piers.
The art wall
The Jaya He museum runs the length of the central curved wall across all four levels, in departures and again alongside the arrivals travelators.
Car park
A multi-level car park connected directly to the terminal, with helical entry ramps and colour-coded columns for wayfinding. Capacity is reported between 2,250 and 5,000 cars.
Santacruz — domestic low-cost
T1 traces its origins to the RAF's Santa Cruz airfield and Mumbai's first integrated passenger terminal of 1958. Today it is a domestic-only building of two active piers, 1B and 1C, after 1A closed permanently in March 2016.
What to expect
- Domestic flights only — there is no immigration and no duty free at T1
- Eleven passenger boarding bridges; some flights board by bus
- Capacity around 15 million passengers a year, rising to 20 after redevelopment
- Arrivals ground transport is on the city side; the shuttle to T2 leaves near Departure Gate 2
T1's retail and dining are a fraction of T2's, but the essentials are all here: an Apollo Pharmacy in the departure hall open around the clock, a supermarket, Crossword, Relay, a handful of Indian beauty counters and around fourteen places to eat, most of which trade 24 hours.
T1 at a glance
- Location
- Santacruz East, Vile Parle
- Piers
- 1B and 1C (1A closed 2016)
- Flights
- Domestic only
- Nearest station
- Vile Parle (Western Line), ~1.7 km
- Metro
- CSMI Airport T1, Line 3 (Aqua)
- Lounges
- Adani Lounge T1B, Travel Club T1C, Good Times Bar T1B
- Free drop-off
- 8 minutes, private vehicles
Which airline uses which terminal
Terminal allocation at CSMIA has been in flux through 2026 as the airport prepares for T1's redevelopment. Always check your booking confirmation — and check it again the day before you fly.
All international carriers
Every international airline serving Mumbai operates from T2. Among them:
- Emirates
- Qatar Airways
- Etihad
- Singapore Airlines
- Lufthansa
- British Airways
- KLM
- Air France
- SWISS
- Turkish Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- Thai Airways
- Oman Air
- SriLankan
- flydubai
- Air Arabia
- Saudia
- Virgin Atlantic
- United
- Vietnam Airlines
Domestic operations at T2 include Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air (which consolidated all Mumbai flying at T2 on 1 August 2026) and a share of IndiGo.
Domestic low-cost
T1 is expected to settle around a core of domestic carriers:
- IndiGo (selected flights)
- SpiceJet
- Star Air
- Alliance Air
Transferring between the terminals
Clear arrivals fully
Collect any checked baggage. There is no airside connection between the terminals, so you re-enter through public departures at the other end.
Find the shuttle
At T2: Level 1, Ground Transportation, bay P4, west side. At T1: leave arrivals and walk towards Departure Gate 2. Look for white coaches marked Inter-Terminal Coach Service.
Show both boarding passes
The service is free. The airport describes it as available to passengers generally, but staff may ask to see the boarding pass you arrived on and the one you are departing on — have both ready, printed or on screen.
Allow 45–60 minutes
Coaches run 24 hours, roughly every 10–20 minutes, and the drive takes about 20–30 minutes depending on traffic. Add queueing and walking at both ends.
Free shuttle
24 hours · every 10–20 min · ~20–30 min journey
₹0 — carry both boarding passes
Taxi or app cab
Any prepaid taxi or app cab will do the 5 km run.
Faster and more predictable if your connection is tight.
Both terminals are about to change
T1 rebuild
Terminal 1 is to be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of around ₹2,500 crore, taking capacity from 15 to 20 million passengers a year. The start has slipped repeatedly; completion is now reported as late as 2030.
A tunnel between them
A three-lane underground airside passenger link between the rebuilt T1 and T2 is planned at ₹500–600 crore, which would finally remove the public-side transfer entirely.
Navi Mumbai opens
Navi Mumbai International Airport is absorbing general aviation and, progressively, scheduled traffic — the pressure valve that makes rebuilding T1 possible at all. A metro line between the two airports is planned as Line 8.