Mangaluru International Airport Handles Record 2.03 Lakh Passengers in December 2023

Mangaluru International Airport logged out of the calendar year 2023 on twin highs on the passenger front. December was particularly satisfying in that the airport handled the highest ever passengers in a month: 2.03 lakh since commercial operation date (COD) of October 31, 2020. The airport also handled record 7,548 passengers in a single day on December 31, 2023, bettering the previous mark of 7,468 passengers handled on November 25, 2023.

Contributing to the record 2.03 lakh passenger mark is the fact that Mangaluru International Airport clocked 12-days in December where it handled 7000 plus passengers with the 7548 passengers handled on New Year’s eve being the highest. The bulk of this 7,000 plus passenger travel came during the weekends - December 9-10, 16-17, 23-25 and 30-31. The airport recorded footfalls of 7089, 7220 and 7034 respectively in the three days up to Christmas.

The Airport in November 2023 had handled 1.78 lakh passengers, which hitherto was the best since COD. “The rising numbers is a clear indicator that aviation travel, domestically and internationally – notwithstanding its various challenges – is on the upswing and Mangaluru International Airport is proud to play its role in this growth,” the airport spokesperson said. The airlines – Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo too are playing their roles in this resurgence, the spokesperson noted. 

The general increase in air traffic movements (ATMs) is observed since October 29, 2023, when the winter schedule came into effect. Mangaluru International Airport recorded 1388 ATMs in December 2023 including 1096 domestic movements. Uptick in business and leisure travel has contributed to the steadily increasing footfalls at the airport, which currently provides connectivity to nine domestic including six direct and rest through, and seven international destinations, respectively.