Mangaluru
The Bengaluru-Mangaluru air route has recently overtaken the Mumbai route to claim the title of the busiest for Mangaluru International Airport (MIA). In March, 51,734 passengers traveled between Mangaluru and Bengaluru, while 50,340 flew on the Mangaluru-Mumbai route, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation’s city pairing data.
An official from MIA attributed Bengaluru’s rise to reduced flights to Mumbai starting in March, following the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s recommendation to ease congestion at Mumbai airport. IndiGo, which previously operated four daily flights from MIA to Mumbai, reduced it to three, while Air India Express, with two daily flights, made no changes. This led to Bengaluru surpassing Mumbai, despite still high demand for the Mumbai route. Currently, seven flights operate daily to Bengaluru from MIA.The Mangaluru-Mumbai sector recorded 5,52,767 passengers, followed by Bengaluru with 5,52,500 passengers in the same year. An aviation insider noted that the Bengaluru-Mangaluru route was anticipated to become the busiest due to flight restrictions on the Mumbai route. He added that if restrictions were lifted and more flights operated, Mumbai would likely regain its status as the busiest route, considering its significant population from coastal districts and its role as an international travel hub.
