Winter Flight Schedule Starts 25 October: What Changes for Srinagar, Mumbai and Gulf Trips
Every year the airline winter schedule slips in quietly on the last Sunday of October, and every year I forget to check what it does to my plans. This year it starts on 25 October, and three pieces of news from the last few days make it worth five minutes of your time before you book or fly.
Srinagar gets its evening flights back. Mumbai’s international flights stay where they are for now, even as the fight over Navi Mumbai heats up again. And a few Gulf routes are still stop and start. Here is how I am reading each one, and what I would do as a traveller.
Srinagar night flights return from 25 October
This is the happy one. ABP Live reported on 20 October 2026 that the Airports Authority of India will let night flights operate at Srinagar again, starting with the winter schedule on 25 October. The airport had been restricted to an 8 am to 5 pm window since April because of runway repairs, and the restart was originally expected only after 31 October.
The numbers tell you why this matters. ABP says daily flights fell from around 50 before April to roughly 25 to 30 during the restriction. An airport official told ABP that a NOTAM lifting the timing limit had been received and that airlines are now booking slots for late evening flights.
What I like about this for a Kashmir trip is simple. A late flight out means you get one more full day in Srinagar or Gulmarg instead of rushing to the airport by lunch. A late arrival means you can leave work in Delhi or Mumbai and still land the same night.
My caution for Srinagar
The same report notes that evening flights in winter will depend on runway visibility. Winter fog and haze are real in the valley. So I would not book a tight onward connection off a late Srinagar flight, and I would keep the airline’s app alerts switched on.
Mumbai international flights stay at T2 this winter
If you fly abroad from Mumbai, you may have seen scary headlines about flights moving to Navi Mumbai. Here is where it stands as of this week.
India Today explained on 19 October 2026 that Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) had proposed moving 265 of the airport’s 770 weekly international departures to Navi Mumbai from 25 October. After airlines objected and the civil aviation ministry stepped in, MIAL said on 13 October that existing international allocations would stay through the whole winter schedule, which runs from 25 October 2026 to 27 March 2027. India Today’s plain takeaway: do not assume your international flight shifts to Navi Mumbai on 25 October.
The fight moved to summer 2027
That does not mean the story is over. The Economic Times reported on 20 October 2026 that MIAL has now told airlines they can shift some or all operations to Navi Mumbai, suspend services until the redeveloped Terminal 1 reopens in 2030, or find other options from summer 2027. ET says the redevelopment needs a temporary cut of about 5 million passengers a year at the existing airport.
The Times of India, also on 20 October 2026, reports that airlines could shift a third of their international departures from T2 to Navi Mumbai. According to TOI, airlines in the Airline Operators Committee have neither agreed to the shift nor consented to any cut in their slots. Both sides meet again on 28 October.
What this means for your bookings
For a trip between now and late March, nothing changes on paper. For a summer 2027 holiday from Mumbai, I would hold off on booking far ahead until airlines say which airport they will use. If you do book early, read the departure airport code on the ticket. BOM is the Santacruz airport. Navi Mumbai has its own code, so check it on your itinerary, and remember that, according to India Today, Navi Mumbai airport sits roughly 35 to 45 km from central and southern Mumbai depending on where you start.
Gulf routes: check before you leave home
The third item is less cheerful. Indian airlines have suspended flights to several Saudi cities over the security situation in the region, and the end dates keep getting pushed out. The Economic Times reported on 18 October 2026 that Akasa Air has extended its suspension of all Riyadh and Jeddah flights up to and including 27 October. The same report says Air India and Air India Express have suspended Jeddah, Riyadh and Dammam flights until 24 October, and IndiGo has cancelled Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah flights until 24 October. Reuters confirmed the same dates on 20 October 2026, and added that Riyadh airport has reopened but airlines still need Saudi permission for each departure and landing.
According to ET, Air India and Air India Express bookings issued on or before 15 October for travel between 9 and 25 October get a one time free date change up to 10 November, or a full refund. Akasa is offering a full refund or a free reschedule.
These dates can move in either direction at short notice. If you or family are flying to Saudi Arabia this week, the airline’s own site and app are the only place I would trust for the current status. If your flight is cancelled, ask the airline directly about refund or rebooking before you book a new ticket on another carrier.
My winter schedule checklist
Before any flight from 25 October onwards, this is what I am doing:
- Open the booking and confirm the departure time again. Schedule changes often show up in the first week of a new season.
- Check the departure airport code, especially from Mumbai.
- For Srinagar, ask yourself if you really need the late flight. If you have an onward connection, pick the earlier one.
- Turn on airline app alerts and SMS for every leg.
- For Gulf flights this week, check status on the airline’s own site the night before and again in the morning.
- Keep a screenshot of the booking and the cancellation policy in case your phone has no signal at the airport.
- If an airline changes your time a lot, look at the free change or refund option it offers before you accept the new slot.
What I am watching next
The 28 October meeting in Mumbai is the next real date. If airlines and MIAL agree on a plan, we should know which routes may move for summer 2027. For Srinagar, I will be watching how many evening flights actually appear in the schedule once airlines finish booking slots.
For now, my advice is boring and useful. Recheck your ticket the week of 25 October, and if you have been putting off a Kashmir trip because flights felt rushed, the evening flights might make that weekend work after all.
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