GMR Hyderabad International Airport Soars, Surpasses 12 Million Passengers In H1FY2024

In a significant development, India, now the 3rd largest aviation market globally, witnessed a surge in passenger traffic, reaching 75.4 million in the domestic air passenger segment during H1FY2024. 

Maintaining this momentum, GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) recorded over 6 million passengers, including both domestic and international travellers, in the period from July to September 2023. This marked a substantial growth of over 24 per cent compared to the same period in 2022 when GHIAL recorded 4.9 million passengers.

The breakdown of air traffic movements (ATMs) during July to September 2023 revealed 35,782 domestic and 6,843 international flights, totaling 42,625 ATMs. Domestic traffic witnessed a commendable 24 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase, while international traffic exhibited a remarkable 23 per cent YoY increase in the second quarter of fiscal year 2024.

In October 2023, domestic traffic experienced a 15 per cent growth, with over 20 lakh passengers compared to 14,86,543 passengers in October 2022. The international passenger numbers in October 2023 surpassed 3 lakhs, marking a 23 per cent increase from October 2022, which recorded over 2 lakhs passengers.

The Air Traffic Movement (ATMs) for October 2023 recorded 12,548 domestic and 2,198 international flights, representing a growth of 12 per cent for domestic ATMs and international ATMs compared to October 2022.

GHIAL achieved a significant milestone by crossing the 12 million passengers mark, handling the highest-ever half-yearly passenger traffic with a remarkable 24 per cent YoY growth in the first half of fiscal year 2024. According to the Cirrum Report, Hyderabad Airport continues to be the third-best airport worldwide for on-time performance.

The airport's natural location advantage, multi-modal connectivity, and extensive route network to over 80 domestic and international destinations have solidified its position as the 'Gateway of Choice' in South and Central India. Hyderabad International Airport has emerged as the 4th busiest airport in India in terms of annual passenger traffic, rising from its earlier position of the 6th busiest airport.

Notably, IndiGo now offers flights to 14 international destinations from Hyderabad, making it their highest international connectivity from any airport in South and Central India. The airline has also established connections to an impressive 53 domestic destinations from Hyderabad.

Hyderabad International Airport is now connected to over 66 domestic destinations and 19 international destinations, showcasing growth from the pre-Covid period of 55 domestic destinations and 16 international destinations, respectively.

The airport witnessed new route developments in both domestic and international sectors in CY 23, including increased frequency by Singapore Airlines, new operations by IndiGo to the Maldives and Colombo, and the recommencement of operations by Kuwait Airways.

Looking ahead, January 2024 will see Lufthansa Airlines connecting the city to Frankfurt, further expanding its connectivity to Europe. Air India Express has commenced services from Hyderabad to Lucknow, Amritsar, and Cochin, with more connectivity expected in the coming months.

Hyderabad International Airport, with its unique Single Roof Integrated Terminal, has become the best transfer gateway for South East Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The RCS-UDAN scheme launched by the Government of India has significantly enhanced domestic traffic, promoting air connectivity to unserved and underserved airports in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.

With Telangana's per-capita income (PCI) growing at an average rate of 12.1 per cent, surpassing India's average PCI growth rate of 9.2 per cent, the state has experienced a considerable rise in air travelers. This growth is attributed to a higher disposable income, an increased middle class, and a rising number of youngsters with a propensity to travel.

Internationally, airlines connecting South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East within a flying time of 4 hours have supported the traffic requirement for long-haul flights to the USA, Europe, and Australia.

To cater to the rising demand in passenger traffic and augment passenger handling capacity, Hyderabad International Airport has embarked on a significant phase-wise expansion, aiming to cater to well beyond 34 million passengers. An additional area spanning 56,474 Sqm has been integrated with the existing passenger terminal, bringing the total operationalized area to 2,74,118 Sqm.

The airport's phase-wise expansion has unveiled a revamped passenger terminal and airside areas with new features, facilities, aircraft stands, rapid taxiways, new parallel taxiways, technological solutions, and one of the largest arrival duty-free facilities in India at the revamped Hyderabad Duty Free.

Hyderabad Airport is actively exploring new destinations and aims to increase connectivity to major international hubs and destinations in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Dallas, Melbourne, Sydney, Paris, Amsterdam, and destinations in Indonesia, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, and Nepal.