Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Oct 24: The Mangaluru International Airport (MIA) (Airport Code: IXE), managed by Adani Airport Holdings Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Ltd, Adani Enterprises, the flagship incubator of the globally diversified Adani Portfolio, continues to demonstrate strong growth in both passenger numbers and air traffic movements (ATMs) for the first half (H1) and second quarter (Q2) of FY25, compared to the same period in FY24.
In H1 FY25, IXE Airport handled a total of 1,121,410 passengers, marking a significant increase from the 946,233 passengers handled in H1 FY24. This represents a growth of 18.5%. The Airport, which presently offers domestic flights to six domestic and eight Middle East destinations, handled 7,402 passengers on August 15, 2024, the highest in the current H1 FY25 as against 6,495 passengers on September 30, 2023, the highest in H1 of FY 24.
The number of domestic travellers increased by 25%, with 784,237 passengers in H1 FY25 compared to 626,881 in H1 FY24. Bengaluru and Mumbai were the two preferred destinations, aiding this domestic growth. International travel also saw an increase of 5.58%, with 337,173 passengers in H1 FY25 compared to 319,352 in H1 FY24. Dubai, Muscat and Dammam emerged the top three international routes.
The IXE Airport recorded a notable increase in air traffic movements. In H1 FY25, the Airport handled 7,830 ATMs, an 18.8% increase from the 6,590 ATMs handled in H1 FY24.
For Q2 FY 2024-25, Mangaluru International Airport handled 568,721 passengers, compared to 488,374 passengers in Q2 FY24, reflecting a growth of 16.45%. The number of domestic travellers in Q2 FY25 was 390,639, up from 333,734 in Q2 FY24 – an increase of 17%. International travellers in Q2 FY25 totalled 178,082, up from 154,640 in Q2 FY24, an increase of 15.15%.
The airport handled 4,010 ATMs in Q2 FY25, a 17.38% increase from the 3,416 ATMs handled in Q2 FY24.
This overall growth is in line with global and national trends, which have seen robust growth in the aviation sector ever since the global pandemic served as a travel disruptor. Mangaluru International Airport's commitment to enhancing passenger experience and operational efficiency continues to drive its success.
Cargo operations
Cargo operations saw a significant boost, with 56.14% growth to 2617.29 metric tons (MT) of cargo handled during H1 FY25, compared to 1676.18MT chiefly domestic cargo last year. This included 1916.81MT of domestic and 700.48 MT of international cargo. The growth is attributed to commencement of international cargo operations at the Airport in July 2024 with Air India Express and IndiGo airline. The airport started domestic cargo operations in May 2023.
If post office mail comprises of bulk of domestic cargo, fruits and vegetables form bulk of the cargo headed for the Middle East destinations.