Bengaluru airport continues to outpace Chennai in international passenger traffic: Report

This surge highlights the rapid expansion of Bengaluru’s international aviation footprint.

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport has consistently surpassed Chennai International Airport in handling international passengers since October 2024.

Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport.

Although Chennai maintained a slight lead in September, accommodating nearly 5,000 more international travelers than Bengaluru, the trend shifted the following month, with Bengaluru pulling ahead and maintaining the lead in the subsequent months, as per data from the Airports Authority of India (AAI), The Hindu Business Line reported.

Passenger figures for January 2025 are yet to be released.

According to AAI data, international flight movements at Chennai Airport rose from 3,291 in December 2023 to 3,397 in December 2024, marking an increase of 106 flights. Meanwhile, Bengaluru witnessed a far more significant surge, with aircraft movements climbing from 2,497 in December 2023 to 3,200 in December 2024, an increase of 703 flights, the report added.

This surge highlights the rapid expansion of Bengaluru’s international aviation footprint, according to the report.

While Chennai International Airport is managed by the AAI, Bengaluru’s airport is operated by a private entity, which experts believe has given it an edge in attracting international carriers. A significant number of business travelers from Chennai are now opting to fly via Bengaluru due to its superior connectivity to global destinations.

In October 2024 alone, Bengaluru’s international passenger traffic stood at 4.9 lakh, marking a 24.3 per cent year-on-year increase, surpassing Chennai’s 4.5 lakh passengers. While Chennai led in international traffic from April to October 2024—handling 3.36 million passengers compared to Bengaluru’s 3.17 million—Bengaluru’s continued expansion in global connectivity has firmly established it as one of India's leading international aviation hubs. In FY 2023-24, Bengaluru handled over 37 million passengers, underscoring its growing prominence.

Chennai airport challenges

One of the biggest challenges Chennai Airport faces is its limited land availability, restricting further expansion. Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu recently pointed out that Chennai Airport occupies just 1,300 acres, significantly smaller than major Indian airports such as Delhi (5,100 acres), Hyderabad (5,500 acres), and Bengaluru (4,008 acres).