CHENNAI: Chennai Airport is at risk of losing its fifth position among the country's busiest airports, with Kolkata rapidly closing the gap in passenger and flight traffic, according to a Daily Thanthi report.
Once India's third busiest airport after Delhi and Mumbai, Chennai has slipped behind Bengaluru and Hyderabad in recent years.
The airport, which briefly fell to sixth place in April before regaining fifth place in May, now holds only a narrow lead over Kolkata.
In May, Chennai Airport handled 19.04 lakh passengers, while Kolkata handled 18.70 lakh passengers, marking a difference of just 34,000 passengers. Chennai also recorded 13,025 flight movements during the month, compared with Kolkata's 12,080, leaving a gap of only 945 flights.
Chennai's domestic passenger traffic declined 6.2 per cent year-on-year, falling from 14.85 lakh passengers in May last year to 13.93 lakh this year. In contrast, Kolkata's domestic passenger traffic increased 4 per cent during the same period, rising from 15.96 lakh to 16.59 lakh passengers.
Hyderabad has also widened its lead over Chennai, handling 25.49 lakh passengers and 17,306 flight movements in May, compared with Chennai's 19.04 lakh passengers and 13,025 flights.
The report also noted that the seat capacity of departing flights declined at seven of the country's 10 busiest airports in June. Hyderabad recorded an 18.5 per cent decline, Chennai 16.6 per cent and Kolkata 11 per cent.
Chennai Airport officials said the airport's operational efficiency is expected to improve significantly after the completion of the ongoing taxiway and integrated terminal works.