Mumbai Flights

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Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (BOM), formerly known as Sahar International Airport, is the primary international airport in Mumbai and is named after the Great Maratha Emperor, Chhatrapati Shivaji Bhosle.

The airport, with its 3 operating terminals, spreads over an operational area of 6 sq km, is India's and South Asia's largest and most important airline hub. It is the busiest airport in the country in terms of international passenger traffic and the second busiest in South Asia in terms of overall passenger traffic. The modernization of the Mumbai Airport started in 2006 by a group industries along with Mumbai International Airport Limited which reflected in additional check-in counters, refurbished toilets, improved signage, additional food and beverage outlets, and a smoother traffic flow. Although the Airport's expansion plans have been repeatedly hampered by slums encroaching onto the airport area but the construction in the surroundings is at full swing for further make over.

The International Airport is located at Marol, Andheri (East) which is 25 km north of main Mumbai City. Distance from other parts - the Western Suburb is within 15 km, Central suburb within 25 km and Navi Mumbai is within 35 km. The Airport is Connected to Western Express Highway by Andheri Kurla Road and a number of other service roads. There is no nearest train stations close to the international terminal but it's well connected via road with services from BEST Bus, Taxi and Auto Ricksaw. You can use more convenient transfer option by using Meru Cabs, Easy Cabs or prepaid Taxi. There is a parking lot near arrival bay but it's rate is too expensive and I won't recommend to park your car over there. Due to construction of Monorail & modernization the traffic at the approach of the airport is slow and please reserve additional time to accommodate that

The International Terminal is structurally divided as 2-A, 2-B, and 2-C. The original complex, 2-A, served most international carriers airlines whereas 2-C, exclusively for Air India, Air-India Express, and those carriers whose ground operations were handled by Air India. Mumbai has two intersecting runways runs between domestic and international terminal and can handle 25-30 departures per hour with simultaneous use of both runways

Daily flights to Mumbai are offered from almost every Indian city with an airport.

Domestc airlines serving Mumbai include:

Air India www.airindia.in
Indian Airlines www.indian-airlines.nic.in
Go Air (*) www.goair.in
Indigo(*) ww.goindigo.in
Jet Airways/Jet Lite(*) www.jetairways.com
Kingfisher/Kingfisher Red(*) www.flykingfisher.com
SpiceJet(*) www.spicejet.com

The budget airlines are denoted by a (*). All of them are very good. They sometimes offer excellent rates when booking far in advance, but you can easily book the same day and get a very good rate.

For a one-stop comparison of flights check www.cleartrip.com or www.makemytrip.com. I'd recommend booking directly with the airlines though in case you need to change your travel plans. I have had occasion to change my dates and have never had any hassles and never been charged any fees.

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Now in the days of economic slow down , the best way to travel to Bombay is by air. The fare has come down drastically. The no of flights to Bombay has increased many folds with at least 7/8 domestic economy airlines offering tickets at very cheap prices depending on the timing. Now one can go to Bombay in the morning and come back in the evening after completing the work, thus saving on hotel bill. The fare costs around Rs.4000+ to Rs11000+( USD$100 to USD$200) depending on the airlines and the services offered. The most expensive is Kingfisher Red, Jet Airways and the economy no frill flights are Jet Lite, Goair, Indigo, Kingfisher. There are at least 12-15 flights a day to Bombay from Kolkata itself and from Delhi or Bangalore the no must be not less than 30 flights a day starting from 5.00AM to midnight. The flight time is about 2 hrs from Kolkata.

It is always wise to buy your ticket from the net, who knows you may struck a better deal! The rail fare to Bombay from Kolkata in AC II tier is about Rs2000+ or around USD$50-55. It takes about 28 hours to 42 hours almost two nights. It makes sense to travel by air and save on hotel bill.

Today, after renovation Bombay airport is one of the best in the country.

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Mumbai has two Airports-The Chattrapathi Shivaji International Airport and Santa Cruz Domestic Airport.At a height of 26 feet above mean sea level, The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport serves as one of India's major international airports. It is also the busiest, currently handleing up to 45 landings and takeoffs per hour.
International Travellers: On arrival at the Chattrapathi Shivaji Airport (35 kms from city centre), the immigration, baggage retrieval and customs areas precede the remainder of the services. Exchange can be obtained at bank counters just outside the customs area. Hotel bookings and pre-paid taxis are available. There are no shops in the arrival area. The departure lounges are marginally better equipped for shopping. They also have a restaurant, a snack bar and exchange. However, check in and emigration is chaotic because of the bunching of flights at night. Phones are available at both arrival and departure.

Domestic Travellers: On arrival at the Santa Cruz Airport (25 kms from city center) the baggage retrieval area is skirted by counters for various services such as hotel reservations. There is no pre-paid taxi counter, although some auto-rentals may represent themselves as such. Taxis are available from a policed queue outside the terminal. The departure area has minimal shopping and a snack bar. Phones are available at both arrival and departure.

Over the last couple of years, the airport has been expanding - more restaurants, nicer/larger duty-free shopping, etc. The latest is a spa. If you find yourself with extra time at Mumbai International (Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport) you may want to head to the spa. The O2 Spa is located in the departure area - once you pass through immigration and security.

Although the prices are a little higher than outside the airport, they're still considerably less than other cities. Treatments include foot reflexology (Rs 695 for 30 minutes, Rs 1,350 for 60 minutes), facials (starting at Rs 895), manicures and pedicures (startind at Rs 795), and neck and back massages (Rs 695 for 30 minutes, Rs 1,350 for 60 minutes). Relax and enjoy!

THE CLIPPER LOUNGE AND BAR in the departure terminal 1A of domestic airport at mumbai is a excellent place to be in if you want to spend some time relaxing.
a buffet plus a host of otrher eat outs alongwith accompaniments are the order of the day.
if you are lucky then the lounge may be quite empty.other times it can get very busy.
a must place for international travellers with onward connection to indian cities.

The Domestic Terminals in Mumbai are a much more pleasant experience compared to International. Things run very smooth. I have used both Kingfisher and Jet, and had no problems.
Remember that you need to have your luggage security checked before going to the counters. Hand luggage should also be tagged and stamped.

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After the chaos and the lack of facilities at the Bombay airport, it is always nice to see the tail of the Air France plane that would carry you out of here.
Todays flight was excellent, the check in was nothing but superb, the ladies behind the counter, very courteous and professional. I have already written to Air France expressing my gratitude to the ladies. the oberoi lounge is noisy and used by so many airlines that it at times resembles a bar selling beer..
the service on board was very good and the flight to paris was nothing short of superb. the captain of the aircraft was an experience pilot and he took the swiftest and fastest route and getting us there to paris in 8 hours. smooth flight indeed and as always one cant complain about the food. after two glasses of champagne I slept for about six hours..