Airlines operating out of Mangaluru International Airport on domestic and international routes are recording good passenger loads. A perusal of the arrival data for the first five months of the current financial year indicates that airlines — IndiGo and Air India — registered a passenger load of 87.5% on the domestic destinations they connect directly. Air India Express and IndiGo clocked loads of 81.7% on international routes.
As against a seating capacity of 3,21,554 on flights landing in Mangaluru from Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune, IndiGo and Air India, among them, ferried 2,80,739 passengers, a load factor of 87.5%. Arrivals from Mumbai saw the highest load factor of 91.5%, with 1,12,973 passengers travelling as against the seating capacity of 1,23,836. Pune had the least load factor of 69%, with 11,078 travelers as against 16,062 seats on offer, according to a release from the airport.
Domestic departure
For domestic flights departing from Mangaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad were almost on an even keel, recording passenger loads of 89.91% and 89.66%, respectively. A total of 10,520 passengers emplaned for Chennai as against 11,700 seats on offer, while Hyderabad saw 21,370 passengers travel as against 23,836 seats for the taking. Mumbai was a close third with a load factor of 87.3% (1,08,695 travelling as against 1,23,836 seats on offer).
International sector
On the international sector, the airlines recorded a passenger load of 81.7% for 1,10,823 passengers arrived from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dubai, Kuwait, and Muscat between April and August. The seats on offer for these destinations in these five months were 1,35,626. The departure load factor for the above destinations from Mangaluru was 83.3%, with 1,12,930 passengers travelling as against the capacity of 1,35,449.
Abu Dhabi popular destination from Mangaluru
Arrivals from Dubai to Mangaluru saw airlines ferry 67,538 passengers as against a capacity of 76,841, a passenger load of 88.26%. Abu Dhabi was the next busiest with an arriving passenger load of 85.65% (13,414 travellers as against 15,660 capacity). Abu Dhabi emerged as the most sought-after international destination from Mangaluru, clocking a load factor of 90.12%, with 14,276 passengers travelling as against 15,840 seats that were on offer.
In August, a total of 1,66,047 passengers travelled — both domestically and abroad. The arrival load factor to the 13 destinations was 83%, with 79,377 passengers travelling as against 96,837 seats on offer. Departures saw a load factor of 90%, with 86,670 passengers emplaning as against 96,837 seats on offer. With additional domestic flights scheduled in the upcoming winter schedule, more people are expected to travel to and from Mangaluru.
