Data shows that total passenger traffic across Indian airports rose to 3.69 crore passengers in May 2026
Domestic passenger numbers increased to 3.08 crore in May from 2.86 crore a year earlier.
| Photo Credit:
ANI
India’s total air passenger traffic remained resilient in May recovering from two months of the West Asia war-induced slump.
Despite a decline in international travel, strong domestic demand helped in overall growth of over 4 per cent in total traffic.
Data from Airports Authority of India shows that total passenger traffic across Indian airports rose 4.5 per cent year-on-year to 3.69 crore passengers in May 2026, compared with 3.53 crore a year earlier. Domestic travel expanded 7.5 per cent, while international passenger traffic contracted 9.1 per cent.
International Travel
The deterioration in overseas traffic coincides with escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which disrupted flight schedules, forced airspace closures and rerouting, and led several airlines to curtail services to destinations in the Gulf and Europe.
International passenger traffic fell to 61.48 lakh passengers in May 2026 from 67.62 lakh in May 2025. The decline marked the third consecutive month of contraction and followed a 16.1 per cent YoY drop in April and an 18.5 per cent YoY fall in March, indicating that the impact of the regional conflict has persisted over several months.
Domestic traffic, however, provided stability to the aviation sector.
Passenger numbers increased to 3.08 crore in May from 2.86 crore a year earlier.
Widening Gap
The AAI data indicates a widening gap among India’s busiest airports. Delhi strengthened its position as the country’s largest airport with robust double-digit growth, while Mumbai retained the second spot despite a marginal decline in passenger traffic. Bengaluru consolidated its position as the third busiest airport with steady growth, whereas Hyderabad and Chennai — fourth and fifth respectively — recorded decline in traffic.
The trend marks a reversal from the beginning of the financial year when both domestic and international travel were expanding. In January, international passenger traffic grew 7.1 per cent, while domestic traffic increased 3.3 per cent. Growth moderated in February before turning sharply negative from March.
“The situation in the Gulf has significantly impacted travel and tourism. It began just as the peak summer holiday season was about to start. Initially, many travelers put their plans on hold, hoping conditions would normalize soon. However, as the situation prolonged, numerous people canceled their long-awaited holidays,” said Vinod Kumar, Manager Sales – South India, STIC Travel Group.
Fortunately, younger travelers continue to travel as usual, which is keeping us busy. We remain hopeful that conditions will steadily improve in the coming days, he said.
Published on July 3, 2026
