7 Adani-run airports in India handled 103% more passengers in FY23

The passenger traffic at the seven Adani-run airports in India jumped by 103 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to 74.8 million in FY23.

The seven Adani-run airports also handled 16.4 per cent more cargo in FY23, at 780,000 metric tonnes compared to FY22, said Jeet Adani, who handles the airport business in the Adani group.

The group runs airports in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram.

These seven airports recorded a 170.1 per cent surge in air traffic movement as they handled over 544,000 flights in FY23, said Adani, who also holds the position of vice-president (group finance) in the conglomerate. 

Each departure or arrival at an airport is classified as air traffic movement.

The seven Adani-run airports have set a capex target of Rs 7,426 crore for the entire 2023-24 (FY24), according to the data shared by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) earlier this month.  

Overall, airports in India are planning a capex of Rs 19,587 crore in FY24. The Delhi, Hyderabad and Goa Mopa airports are run by GMR Group-led consortiums. 

The Bengaluru airport is run by Fairfax Group-led consortium. More than 130 airports in the country are run by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

The Indian aviation sector is booming after the disruption created during the pandemic. Indian carriers flew an average of 372,840 passengers per day in FY23, 59.81 per cent more than in FY22, according to MoCA data.

Airlines in India are expected to add 132 aircraft in FY24 to tap into the surge in passenger demand, according to CAPA India. While Air India is expected to induct 53 aircraft, IndiGo will add 49, the aviation consultancy firm added in its annual outlook.