Leading airports India FY 2024, by number of international passengers

The aviation industry in India has become one of the fastest-growing industries in the country and is currently the third-largest domestic civil aviation market worldwide. Indira Gandhi International airport in the country’s capital was the busiest airport in terms of international passengers during the financial year 2024, with over 19 million passengers handled. It was a significant increase in comparison with the previous year, at more than 24 percent. The airport was also the busiest in terms of domestic travel, with over 54.2 million domestic passengers handled in the same time period. The airport now ranks above mega-hubs like Frankfurt, Istanbul Ataturk, and Dallas Forth Worth airports in terms of passenger travel.

Market development

Economic liberalization in the country was quite beneficial for the aviation industry. Low-cost carriers dominate the domestic aviation market. With the possibility of future investments from the Airport Authority of India, the government seems keen on expanding and improving the airport infrastructure within the nation.

Carrier collapse

With a debt of over a billion U.S. dollars, Jet Airways, one of the country’s biggest private airlines, suspended operations in April 2019, leaving the field open for its competitor IndiGo. Following financial difficulties, the former was already suffering increased pressure from owners and passengers alike and was the leading airline in terms of consumer complaints in 2019. The industry, however, looks forward to shaking the mishap and tap into the huge growth opportunities in its path; now with a focus on quality and passenger perspective, in the hope of avoiding a repeat of a domestic airline bankruptcy.