International passenger traffic at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad witnessed a remarkable surge during the 2024 financial year.
Recent data issued by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) suggests that while domestic passenger numbers saw an increase, international passenger traffic soared by 29%, reflecting the airport’s growing prominence as a key travel hub.
The surge has been fuelled by improved direct air connectivity and a flurry of global-scale events held in the city in recent times.
In FY 2023, the airport saw approximately 15.39 lakh international passengers passing through its terminals. However, in the 2024 fiscal year, this number increased to 19.77 lakh.
Concurrently, domestic passenger traffic too witnessed a substantial increase, climbing from 85.97 lakh in FY2023 to 97.18 lakh in FY2024.
Ahmedabad, as a result, has emerged as a hub for leisure travel not just for people of the city but also nearby regions like Saurashtra and South Gujarat.
Direct flights and additional connectivity to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam provide easy leisure travel alternatives to customers.
Events such as the G20 conferences, IPL matches, World Cup matches and the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit have drawn significant attention to the city, stimulating travel demand and driving passenger growth at the airport.
Interestingly, among other major airports, Ahmedabad posted the highest growth in international passenger traffic, albeit on a low-base effect.
Other airports which clocked higher growth international passenger movement include Delhi (24.4% at 1.94 crore passengers in FY2024), Mumbai (27.8% at 1.43 crore), Chennai (20.9% at 58.79 lakh), Cochin (7.9% at 49.2 lakh), Bengaluru (23.3% at 46.6 lakh), Hyderabad (23.2% at 42.14 lakh), Thiruvananthapuram (14% at 20.5 lakh) and Calicut (11.3% at 26.76 lakh), among others.
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