Daily passenger volume triples at Shamshabad airport

Hyderabad, Aug 24 : Daily passenger volume flowing through the Hyderabad International Airport has tripled in two months, the airport operator said on Tuesday.

The airport handled more than seven lakh passengers in July. From around 10,000 passengers on June 1, the number of passengers almost tripled and crossed 29,000 on a single day on July 18.

The airport witnessed more than 6.8 lakh domestic passengers and over 50,000 international travellers in July.

According to GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), as the national vaccination numbers are moving higher, demand for air travel is gradually picking up across sectors.

The Hyderabad Airport saw an increase in the number of flights across domestic sectors. The airport recorded a substantial rise in Air Traffic Movements (ATMs) in July. From just over 100 on June 1, the ATMs gradually increased and reached 288 on July 25. More than 8,000 ATMs were recorded from the Hyderabad International Airport in July.

With stringent hygiene, digitalisation and safety standards in place, travellers are gaining confidence and are taking to air travel. The airports have been busier in recent weeks with airlines adding new flight routes connecting cities to new travel destinations besides reviving the old ones, the operator said.

As the pandemic subsides, significant progress towards leisure trips or visit to family and friends are seen on the rise.

Recently a new domestic destination -- Srinagar -- has been added from the Hyderabad Airport. Indigo operates a direct flight to Srinagar from Hyderabad for four days a week -- Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Four new domestic routes connecting Hyderabad to new cities will be launched in the coming months.

Direct flights from Hyderabad to Male recommenced from August 22. Also, leisure destinations like Goa, Jaipur and Kochi recorded huge growth in passenger volume flying out from Hyderabad.

Along with leisure/vacation travel, SME business travel and visiting friends & relatives (VFR) have largely contributed to the increase in passenger numbers, the operator added.