Mumbai airport traffic up 4pc in October

Mumbai: Mumbai Airport's total passenger traffic grew by 4pc year-on-year to over 4.42 million in October, driven by strong festive travel demand, according to Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL).

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), India’s second-busiest airport, is 74pc owned by the Adani Group, with the remaining 26pc held by the state-run Airports Authority of India (AAI). 

The airport had handled 4.25 million passengers in October 2023.

Significantly, this year, three major festivals -- Dussehra, Dhanteras and Diwali -- fell in October.

"CSMIA facilitated travel for over 4.42 million passengers -- 3.16 million domestic and over 1.25 million international -- in October. This festive season saw a marked surge in both domestic and international traffic, as travellers flocked to celebrate the festival of lights," the private airport operator said in a statement.

October 26, which fell on the last Saturday before the commencement of the Diwali festivities, recorded the highest number of air traffic movements (arrivals and departures), with 939 flights on a single day, marking it the busiest day in the month, MIAL said, adding that the facility saw a remarkable rise in ATMs in October, with 19,848 domestic and 7,222 international, owing to an expanded number of travel options for passengers.