Mumbai airport recorded 32% increase in passenger traffic in August

The airport noted that it had observed a 108 per cent recovery in passenger traffic in August 2023 compared to the pre-pandemic level in August 2019

Adani-group owned Mumbai airport recorded a 32 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) increase in passenger traffic to 4.32 million passengers in August 2023, signalling strong growth in air travel during the lean season.

The airport recorded 3.2 million passenger footfalls in August last year.

The Mumbai airport, known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), said it witnessed a 33 per cent Y-o-Y rise in handling international passengers from 1.1 million in August this year as compared to 0.84 million during the same period last year.

"The recent passenger traffic numbers at CSMIA, once again, stand as a testament to the airport's steadfast growth in the industry. This exponential growth symbolises the unwavering trust passengers place in CSMIA," the airport said in a statement.

The airport did not respond to queries sent by Business Standard till press time.

Additionally, the airport noted that it had observed a 108 per cent recovery in passenger traffic in August 2023 as compared to its pre-pandemic levels in August 2019.

The Mumbai airport recorded 20,711 domestic air traffic movements and 6,960 international air traffic movements in August 2023. Each departure or arrival at an airport is classified as an air traffic movement.

On the domestic front, IndiGo, Air India and Vistara emerged as the top three airlines by market share at the airport. The airport said IndiGo cornered 48 per cent market share, whereas Air India and Vistara accounted for 18 per cent and 17 per cent market share, respectively.

In the international sector, IndiGo accounted for 22 per cent market share whereas Air India and Vistara held 14 per cent and 10 per cent share, respectively.

Indian cities such as Delhi, Bangalore, and Chennai were top domestic destinations for CSMIA in August 2023. Internationally, Dubai, London, and Abu Dhabi were the most preferred international destinations, the airport said.

The Indian aviation sector is booming after the disruption created during the pandemic. Indian carriers flew an average of 372,840 passengers per day in financial year 23 (FY23), 59.81 per cent more than in FY22, according to Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) data, Business Standard reported in July.

Airlines in India are expected to add 132 aircraft in FY24 to tap into the surge in passenger demand, according to CAPA India. While Air India is expected to induct 53 aircraft, IndiGo will add 49, the aviation consultancy firm added in its annual outlook.