Airports become key battleground for cab companies after BluSmart closure

With BluSmart suspending metro operations, Uber, Rapido, and others are intensifying their push into high-growth airport routes, driven by a steady rise in domestic air passenger traffic

With BluSmart's sudden exit from key metro markets, a fierce battle is unfolding among cab aggregators — not across entire cities, but at the gates of India’s bustling airports. The airport segment, once a niche, has quickly emerged as a high-value, high-growth category, drawing renewed focus from players like Uber, Rapido and Evera Cabs.

 

Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation show that domestic air passenger traffic increased 6.12 per cent year-on-year in 2024 to 161.3 million, compared to 152 million in 2023. On a monthly basis, in March this year, domestic airlines ferried 14.5 million passengers as against 13.36 million during the corresponding period last year.

 

According to Nimish Trivedi, co-founder and chief executive officer of Evera Cabs, an electric cab-hailing firm, "The size of the business at the airports is huge. With the rise in air traffic and passengers, there is a greater need for transportation to and from the airport. Yes, there is a void, but ultimately there is also a demand which is constantly growing, making the void larger." Trivedi added that the probability of getting trips at airports is quite high and the distance travelled is also substantial.

 

As its fleet size increases, Evera is eyeing to double down on its airport network expansion. The company, which previously operated only from Terminal 3 of the Delhi airport, plans to expand its services to Terminal 1 while also enhancing its base at the existing terminal. For Evera, airport pick-ups comprise 55 per cent of the total bookings, with the average cost of a trip being around Rs 600. Compared to April numbers, the airport trips on the platform rose six times in the last month.

 

Not just Evera, mobility platforms like Uber and Rapido have also witnessed growth in their airport cab services. 

Uber recorded approximately 200 per cent year-on-year growth in its pre-scheduled ride option, Uber Reserve. Notably, nearly one in four airport drop-offs now happen via Reserve, and the airport drop-off segment emerged as the primary use case for Uber Reserve last year, with as much as 40 per cent of overall trips ending at an airport, according to a company statement.

 

For Rapido, currently, 12-15 per cent of total cab rides across India are airport rides. However, the platform is also ramping up its service across major airports. "There are a lot of consumers who want to go to airports, so airports are a category. If you look at the last three months, we were able to launch [services] at multiple airports by partnering with the authorities. We launched in Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and other major airports as well," said Aravind Sanka, the co-founder of Rapido. 

 

Initially a bike-taxi platform, Rapido gets up to 25 per cent of its bookings from the cab segment. The platform has expanded to categories including Sedan and XL, especially in Delhi after the closure of BluSmart. The focus area is how to bring in at least one million captains in the four-wheeler category, Sanka added.

 

Especially for cabs, Sanka said the three largest cities are already Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. "We are definitely going to double down on Mumbai. These numbers of one million drivers are only possible if we double down on existing markets along with our launch in those cities. So, if you look at the last few months, our airport business grew at least five times, and the airport is one of the core segments of the cab industry," Sanka said. Rapido said it is confident of capturing a majority of the airport cab business as it is based on a zero-commission model.

 

Another zero-commission mobility platform, Namma Yatri, also said out of all cab rides, 5-10 per cent are either for pick-up or drop-off at the airports.

 

BluSmart ceased operations in April this year, suspending its cab booking services across the National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR), Mumbai and Bengaluru. 

Bookings galore

 

*  Evera plans to expand its services to Terminal 1 while also enhancing its base 

  *  Airport pick-ups comprise 55% of Evera’s total bookings

  *  Uber recorded about 200% Y-o-Y growth in its pre-scheduled ride option

  *  Nearly one in four airport drop-offs now happen via Uber Reserve

  *  For Rapido, currently, 12-15% of total cab rides across India are airport rides