Hyderabad Airport serviced 6 million fliers in July-Sept 2023; 24 per cent surge from 2022

Hyderabad: GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) has serviced over six million air passengers (including domestic and international) during July-September 2023, with a growth rate exceeding 24 per cent from the same period in 2022.

During this period, GHIAL recorded 35,782 domestic and 6,843 international air traffic movements (ATMs), contributing to a total of 42,625 ATMs. Notably, domestic traffic increased by 24 per cent year-on-year (YoY), while international traffic experienced a substantial 23 per cent YoY growth in the second quarter of the financial year of 2024.

India, the third-largest aviation market globally, helped 75.4 million domestic air passengers travel through the skies in the first half of the financial year of 2023.

Significant milestone in domestic traffic

In October 2023, domestic traffic at GHIAL showed a 15 per cent growth, with over 20 lakh passengers compared to 14,86,543 passengers in October 2022. International passenger numbers surpassed three lakhs, marking a 23 per cent increase from October 2022.

The ATMs in October 2023 recorded 12,548 domestic and 2,198 international flights, witnessing a growth of 12 per cent for domestic ATMs and international ATMs compared to October 2022.

GHIAL achieved a significant milestone by handling over 12 million passengers, marking the highest-ever half-yearly passenger traffic with a remarkable YoY growth of 24 per cent in H1FY24. According to the Cirrum Report, Hyderabad Airport continues to rank as the third-best airport worldwide for on-time performance.

Worldwide recognition

Hyderabad International Airport’s strategic location advantage, multi-modal connectivity, and an extensive route network to over 80 domestic and international destinations have positioned it as the ‘Gateway of Choice’ in South and Central India.

In fact, it has climbed to become the fourth busiest airport in India in terms of annual passenger traffic, offering flights to 14 international destinations from Hyderabad, making it the highest international connectivity from any airport in South and Central India.

Numbers up for pre-Covid era

The airport now boasts connectivity to over 66 domestic destinations, up from the pre-COVID period of 55, and 19 international destinations, up from 16. The top five international destinations include Dubai, Singapore, Doha, Abu Dhabi, and London, while the top domestic tourist destinations (excluding metro cities) are Goa, Visakhapatnam, Cochin, Tirupati, and Ahmedabad.

The continued growth is further supported by new route developments, such as increased frequency from Singapore Airlines and new operations by IndiGo to destinations like the Maldives and Colombo. Looking ahead, Lufthansa Airlines is set to connect Hyderabad to Frankfurt in January 2024

Infrastructure expansion at Hyderabad airport

To accommodate the rising demand for passenger traffic, Hyderabad International Airport has undertaken significant phase-wise expansion, integrating an additional area of 56,474 sqm with the existing passenger terminal. This expansion includes a revamped passenger terminal, airside areas with new features, facilities, aircraft stands, rapid taxiways, parallel taxiways, and a revamped Hyderabad duty-free—one of the largest arrival duty-free spaces in India.

As the airport explores new destinations and aims to increase connectivity in the coming years, its focus includes enhancing connectivity to Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Melbourne, Sydney, Paris, Amsterdam, and destinations in Indonesia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Nepal.