MUMBAI: The Mumbai airport recorded a passenger traffic growth of 32 % in August with over 4.3 million passengers handled as against 3.2 million passengers the previous August.
During the Independence Day weekend, the airport witnessed an 8.4 % surge in passenger volumes. Over the years, Independence Day has turned into a popular short holiday with the only exception being the pandemic years. The trend returned strong this year with August 15 falling on a Tuesday and demand for air tickets rose as was indicated by comparatively higher fares.
On August 11 and 12, a Friday and a Saturday, the Mumbai airport handled 1.5 lakh passengers each, which was an 8.4% growth compared to 1.39 lakh average passengers it handled in August, said a Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) spokesperson. Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai emerged as the top domestic destinations out of Mumbai.
International passenger traffic too witnessed a growth, with 33% more flyers __ 1.1 million passengers in comparison to 0.84 million the same period last year__that is. Dubai, London, and Abu Dhabi remained the most preferred destinations in the international sectors. Among the highest growth registered in international sectors in August 2023 versus August 2022 were Munich which recorded a 150% increase in passenger traffic, followed by Hanoi with a 138% growth.
"Istanbul also saw an increase in passenger volumes with a 110% rise, while Nairobi and Ho Chi Minh witnessed a growth of 99% and 96% in passenger traffic respectively," said MIAL.
