INDIA. Passenger traffic at Indian airports rose +21.7% year-on year in April, to 28.22 million.
Airports Authority of India figures show +10.2% growth in international traffic to 5.62 million, and a +25% increase in domestic traffic to 22.6 million.
In Delhi, traffic rose +13% during the month, to 1.48 million. Traffic was up +7.8% in Mumbai to 1.13 million; +2.5% in Cochin to 475,545; +11.5% in Chennai to 475,351; +17.7% in Bangalore to 356,290; and +16.7% in Hyderabad to 325,441.
The traffic growth has boosted duty free sales with Flemingo’s sales at Chhatrapati Shivaji International in Mumbai recently running at +36% ahead of last year, The Moodie Davitt Report understands.
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Smaller towns such as Shillong, Shimla, Bhatinda, Ludhiana, Bhuntar, Pathankot, Mysore and Salem have benefitted from the government’s regional connectivity scheme. They are now contributing to a much greater degree to overall passenger traffic growth, the Airports Authority of India figures showed.
Mumbai Airport sets daily traffic record
Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport handled the largest number of flights in a 24-hour timeframe in its history on 5 June.
Operator GVK Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) said the airport handled 1,003 takeoffs and landings – breaking its record of 988 flight movements in a day. It is also the largest amount of traffic in a single day at any airport in India to date.
Heavy rainfall on 5 June meant aircraft were diverted to nearby airports and were later accommodated immediately as the rains stopped, MIAL said. This led to an increase in flight movements.
“This is an acknowledgement of the airport’s continuous efforts towards setting quality benchmarks for the airport industry across the globe,” MIAL said. “It is a testament to GVK MIAL’s unflinching commitment towards operating with an approach that promises efficiency, safety and reliability.”
