Which are the largest and busiest airports in India? India is teeming with life, and no matter where you go, you will never see an empty bus or train. The same goes for airports as well. With India having the second largest population in the world, the country’s airports are quite busy and thriving. Whether domestic or international, Indian air traffic is at an all-time high today. India, along with China and Japan, comprises around 45% of the world air traffic while India alone is responsible for 1.3% of the domestic air traffic.
The global air traffic has been consistently increasing and saw a growth of 9.6% in 2017. The same goes for India as well, which has seen an increase consecutively for 22 months. There has been a 26.6% growth in air traffic in the country, which definitely points to a pattern. India has also ordered 880 planes of different types currently. Some of these planes number among the fastest passenger planes in use today. 30% of these planes are replacements for older planes while the remaining are new, showcasing a growth.
According to the trends, China might take the top place in air traffic, but India will also make it to the third place. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India has recorded a strong growth in air traffic consistently for the last six years, especially after budget airlines made an appearance in the Indian market. Among these, IndiGo is the top airline, carrying 40% of the air traffic. When it comes to international air traffic, the traditional airlines like Air India are still more preferred.
With all this growth in the airline sector, the country had to invest heavily in infrastructure. However, this has often faced setbacks, like the lack of a sufficient number of technicians in the new Indira Gandhi International Airport. Salaries are also low, and hence there are not many takers for these jobs. The aforementioned IGI airport in Delhi is among the largest and busiest airports in India, with around 40 million passengers annually. Other airports making it to this list are Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai and Kempegowda International Airport in Bangalore. The Mumbai airport won the Best Airport in India and Central Asia award last year, while the Bangalore airport has around 500 planes landing and taking off every day. For more airports in India, do consult our list. The ranking is based on data from the Airports Authority of India.
