Domestic flyers outnumber international passengers during Onam in Thiruvananthapuram airport

The Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, managed by Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL), witnessed a leap in the number of passengers passing through the airport during the Onam festival. From September 1 to 17, the airport served over 2.36 lakh passengers, a growth of 14% over the same period in the previous year.

During the same period of the Onam celebration in the previous year, the airport saw a passenger footfall of 2.07 lakh passengers. This year, an increase of over 29,000 passengers was reported. Compared to other airports in the State, domestic passenger traffic through the Thiruvananthapuram airport continues to surpass the international traffic volume. During the Onam traffic, of the total 2.36 lakhs passengers, over 1.3 lakh passengers were domestic flyers on various destinations inside the country, while the international passengers were just 1.12 lakh passengers.

In contrast, the international passengers would be higher than domestic flyers in three other international airports in the State due to the high number of overseas population from Kerala. Despite the relatively good inbound traffic to Kerala during Onam, the domestic flyers outnumbered the international passengers in Thiruvananthapuram.

The emergence of Mumbai as a transit hub for southern Keralites to move to West Asian countries has also aided the spurt in the number of domestic flyers as there is a steady traffic from Thiruvananthapuram to Gulf countries via Mumbai of late, said airport sources. Envisaging high passenger movement during the festive season, the airport had put in place several measures to facilitate smooth passenger journeys, including deputing more staff across the terminal, said airport authorities.

Published - September 21, 2024 08:31 pm IST