While Pune airport has witnessed a significant decline in international passenger traffic following suspension and disruption of several overseas flight services, it has recorded a strong surge in domestic travel.. In May, domestic passenger traffic reached 1,029,594 as compared to 859,223 passengers in April. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)With direct connectivity to destinations such as Bangkok and Singapore having been reduced or discontinued; and flights to Gulf destinations including Dubai and Abu Dhabi having been affected by geopolitical tensions in the region; only 11,836 passengers travelled internationally from Pune in May, marking a steep fall from 33,309 international travellers recorded in February this year. In March, 16,439 passengers travelled internationally from Pune, with the number dropping to 15,723 in April.Over the past year, Pune airport had direct international connectivity to Dubai, Singapore, Bangkok and Abu Dhabi but the Singapore service was first suspended temporarily by the airline citing technical reasons and later permanently withdrawn. Meanwhile, IndiGo discontinued its Pune-Bangkok service at the beginning of the summer schedule. Flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been irregular though operational owing to the impact of the Iran-US conflict and the resulting disruptions in regional airspace. The reduction in international flight options has substantially affected overseas travel from Pune, forcing many Pune-based travellers to embark on international journeys from larger hubs such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi.Despite the decline in international traffic, there has been a strong surge in domestic travel. For the first time in its history, Pune airport handled more than one million passengers in a single month. In May, domestic passenger traffic reached 1,029,594 as compared to 859,223 passengers in April. Airport authorities attribute the surge in traffic to summer vacations, tourism-related travel and growing demand on domestic routes.The sharp contrast between domestic and international passenger traffic has renewed concerns over Pune’s limited overseas connectivity. The closure of key international services has become a major concern for passengers who now face additional travel time and costs to access international destinations.A senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official on condition of anonymity said, “The decline in international passenger traffic is directly linked to the reduction in available overseas flight options from Pune. Suspension of services to destinations such as Singapore and Bangkok, coupled with operational challenges affecting Gulf routes, has naturally impacted passenger volumes. However, the demand for international travel from Pune remains strong and is evident from the high load factors seen on the remaining services. At the same time, domestic travel has witnessed unprecedented growth, with the airport crossing the one-million passenger mark in a single month for the first time. We continue to engage with airlines and stakeholders to encourage expansion of international connectivity from Pune and are confident that passenger numbers on overseas routes will recover once additional services are restored and new routes are introduced.”