Number of domestic passengers at Delhi airport rose three times from May to June

DIAL’s statement also pointed out that the majority of the travellers fell in the ‘Visiting Family and Relatives’ (VFR) category followed by business travellers

The number of domestic travellers at Delhi airport has increased three times between mid-May and June-end, its operator Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) said on Thursday. DIAL’s statement also pointed out that the majority of the travellers fell in the ‘Visiting Family and Relatives’ (VFR) category followed by business travellers.

Representational Image. (File photo)

“The Delhi airport has witnessed over three times rise in domestic passenger numbers from around 18,000 per day in mid of May 2021 to over 62,000 per day at the end of June 2021. Similarly, the number of international travellers grew from around 4,500 per day in mid of May to nearly 7,500 per day in June end,” DIAL said in the white paper. This increase could be because of the relaxation of norms in various states.

The month of June also saw a drop in people heading for a vacation with 48% of the travellers being in the VFR category in contrast to 41% in June 2019. In pre-Covid times, around 44% of flyers were vacationers, and that has dropped to a mere 2% this time.

Mumbai, Patna, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Leh, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and J&K have emerged as the top 10 destinations from Delhi during May and June.

Air passenger traffic in India rose for the fourth straight week last Monday. The average number of daily fliers rose to 114,000 for the week ended 26 June, from 108,000 fliers a week before, brokerage firm ICICI Securities said in a report.

Subhendu Ray, head of Media relations at GMR group, told HT, “All the airports are witnessing this growth trend but Delhi airport’s passenger numbers are higher. This is because of the connectivity Delhi airport offers and the safety protocols adopted by the airport. People feel safe while travelling from here.”