Passenger traffic exceeds pre-Covid levels at Srinagar, Leh airports

Vijay C Roy

Chandigarh, June 2

Though the number of air travellers at various airports in North is yet to reach pre-Covid levels, Srinagar and Leh airports have registered a significant growth in passenger traffic in the last fiscal.

Srinagar airport witnessed a 12.5% growth in passenger traffic in 2021-22 as compared to 2019-20, while Leh airport witnessed over 27% growth during the same period.

According to Airports Authority of India (AAI) data, during April-March (2021-22), 31,49,722 domestic passengers transited through the Srinagar airport as compared to 27,99,154 in 2019-20. In 2020-21, it handled 17,99,748 passengers.

Similarly, Leh airport handled 10,50,714 passengers in 2021-22, 3,21,462 in 2020-21 and 7,63,042 in 2019-20.

The growth in traffic at Srinagar and Leh airports is attributed to substantial increase in tourist inflow to two Union Territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. As the Covid cases dropped steadily in several states and restrictions gradually eased, tourists flocked to hill stations in large numbers.

Except these two airports, all major airports in the region, though witnessed a substantial increase in passenger traffic in 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21, they are yet to reach the pre-pandemic levels. According to rating agency ICRA, the domestic recovery is hampered by sluggish demand from leisure and business travel.

The domestic passenger traffic at three other international airports — Chandigarh International Airport, Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, and Jammu Airport — was lower by 2.25%, 36.46% and 12.5%, respectively during 2021-22 as compared to 2019-20, which was pre-Covid period.