With 34.2-lakh footfall, 2024 was Amritsar airport’s busiest year
As per the data maintained by the FlyAmritsar Initiative since 2004, the previous monthly record for the airport was 3.3 lakh, which was seen in December 2023.
Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, saw a record-breaking footfall of 3.4 lakh passengers, data released by the Airport Authority of India (AAI) has revealed. It was also the busiest year in the airport’s history with over 34.2 lakh passengers landing or flying out of the airport.
As per the data maintained by the FlyAmritsar Initiative since 2004, the previous monthly record for the airport was 3.3 lakh, which was seen in December 2023.
The December 2024 footfall includes 2.29 lakh domestic passengers and 1.11 lakh international passengers. It is only the second time in the airport’s history that the international footfall has crossed the 1-lakh mark, the previous being in 2023 when it welcomed 1.06 lakh passengers
The yearly count includes 23.12 lakh domestic passengers and 11.14 lakh international passengers, making it the first time for the international traffic to cross 10 lakhs in a calendar year. The yearly figure saw a 16.3% growth compared to 2023, with international passenger numbers surging by 21.3% and domestic traffic rising by 14.1%.
Sameep Singh Gumtala, global convener of the FlyAmritsar Initiative, a group dedicated to promoting and enhancing connectivity at Amritsar Airport, said, “We are proud to share this milestone with the Punjabi community worldwide, which increasingly prefers to fly directly from 10 global destinations, including London, Birmingham, Doha, Dubai, Sharjah, Milan, Rome, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to Amritsar, rather than transiting through Delhi or travelling by road to Punjab.”
He revealed that a significant portion of the domestic traffic comprises international passengers connecting via Delhi or Mumbai.
Citing rising passenger volumes, Gumtala said there is an urgent need to upgrade the airport infrastructure. “The airport has seen an annual increase of approximately five lakh passengers, and we estimate it will surpass the 40-lakh mark in 2025. To support this growth, the current terminal capacity requires immediate expansion and further upgrades over the next five years,” he said.
Amritsar Vikas Manch activist Kulwant Singh Ankhi urged the Punjab government to introduce intercity bus services from various cities across Punjab to enhance airport accessibility.