BENGALURU- November 2024 has been a great month for Indian aviation expansion, with airports and airlines experiencing tremendous growth.
Indian carriers have achieved outstanding results. Airlines carried 5.91 percent more passengers in the first 11 months of 2024 compared to the same time in 2023.
This development indicates that air travel demand is increasing in India. Airlines’ improved connection is helping to drive growth, as more travelers choose to fly for their trips.
Indian Aviation Boom
Monthly growth is likewise tremendous. In November 2024, Indian airlines carried a record 14.55 million passengers, up from 12.73 million in October, representing an 11.9 percent increase month over month.
This demonstrates the sector’s strong recovery following the epidemic, as well as airlines’ ability to survive and thrive in the market, whether domestic or worldwide.
Kempegowda International Airport-Bengaluru and Rajiv Gandhi International Airport-Hyderabad are India’s fastest growing airports in terms of passenger volume.
Bengaluru, often known as the Indian Silicon Valley, has naturally seen ongoing traffic increase as a result of its developing IT environment, tourism growth, and larger and ever-increasing desire for worldwide connectivity.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad Airport is quickly establishing itself as South India’s burgeoning aviation hub, thanks to its prime location and world-class infrastructure.
Top 6 Indian airports grew in November 2024
In November 2024, all six metro airports in India experienced excellent passenger increase when compared to the same period in 2023.
Bengaluru Airport (BLR) and Hyderabad Airport (HYD) stood out, with the largest growth in all three categories: domestic, international, and combined passenger flow (domestic + international), indicating a thriving Indian aviation industry.
This exceptional performance demonstrates the growing importance of these two southern hubs in India’s aviation ecosystem. Their strategic relevance is growing, with a substantial contribution to India’s overall aviation sector expansion.
- Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) has experienced the greatest increase in domestic passengers in the country. Hyderabad Airport handled 21,29,692 domestic passengers, up 26.7% from the previous year, compared to 16,80,439 in October 2024.
- Kempegowda International Airport (BLR)Ranks second in terms of domestic passenger growth. Bengaluru airport had 30,63,408 domestic passengers, up 14.5% year on year from 26,76,442 in November 2023. The airport is on target to reach 40 million passengers per year (MPPA) in fiscal year 2024.
- Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)Delhi took the third position. The airport experienced a high year-on-year growth rate of 12.3% in November 2024. The airport saw 49,35,825 domestic flyers, compared to 43,95,834 in November 2023. As the country’s busiest airport and principal international gateway, Delhi continues to have the greatest overall passenger traffic.
- Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU) Reached fourth place with a 10.4% year-over-year increase. Kolkata Airport served 16,97,086 passengers in November 2024.
- Chennai International Airport (MAA)In November 2024, it handled 13,65,412 passengers, ranking 5th on the list with an 8.1% year-on-year gain.
- Lastly, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM)Mumbai experienced 6.6% year-on-year growth and handled 34,03,020 passengers. Mumbai remains the country’s second-busiest airport.
International Growth:
Kempegowda International Airport (BLR) has the highest growth rate in international passenger traffic. The airport handled 504,691 international passengers in November 2024, representing a staggering 26.6% rise over November 2023. Bengaluru Airport is the country’s only airport that has grown by more than 20%.
In October 2024, Bengaluru Airport surpassed Chennai (MAA) to become the country’s third busiest airport in terms of international travelers.
This was the first time the airport has overtaken Chennai. In November, Bengaluru Airport remained the country’s third busiest airport.
Several international and Indian carriers introduced flights to Bengaluru in November. This is the first time that Bengaluru Airport has handled more than 500,000 international travelers. Most importantly, IndiGo (6E)’s exceptional international flight additions from the city have made a significant contribution to this feat.
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (HYD) takes the second slot. The airport experienced 14.3% year-over-year growth. In November 2023, the airport handled 401,790 international passengers, compared to 351,607 international travelers.
Hyderabad Airport (HYD) may soon overtake Kochi Airport (COK). Kochi Airport (COK) handled 418,001 foreign passengers in November 2024. The disparity is clearly not large.
In November 2023, Kochi Airport (COK) served 405,073 international passengers, while Hyderabad Airport (HYD) served 351,607 foreign passengers. The projections for 2024 show that Hyderabad Airport is rapidly closing the gap.
Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)Delhi had the next biggest growth. The airport has 18,53,089 international passengers. Needless to mention, the airport served the greatest number of international passengers, authoring the Indian aviation growth tale.
Year on year, Delhi Airport grew by 10.4%.
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM) exhibited the second greatest increase.Mumbai Airport is the second busiest in the country. The airport handled 13,72,746 international flights, representing an 8.1% year-on-year increase. The airport is an important center for both domestic and international activities.
The lack of available slots at the airport has undoubtedly hampered the airport’s expansion rate. Hopefully, after opening, Navi Mumbai would free up slots at Mumbai Airport (BOM).
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (CCU)Â and Chennai International Airport (MAA) Both airports had negative growth. While Kolkata Airport shrank by -1.1%, Chennai Airport shrank by -1%.
This negative growth can be ascribed to the reduction in flights to Bangladesh from both airports. Previously, both airports had many flights every day. Currently, flights are significantly reduced.
Bottom Line
November is typically seen as a somewhat slow month for air travel, particularly when contrasted to December’s peak activity. However, November 2024 exceeded all expectations, proving to be an excellent month for Indian aviation, with tremendous expansion throughout the country.
As we enter December, the biggest month of the year for air travel, we can expect to see even more mind-blowing and maybe record-breaking numbers.
With holiday travel and Christmas fueling demand, Indian aviation could be setting up for its most exciting month yet.