The contrasting performances underscore the uneven traffic trends across India’s major aviation hubs.
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Delhi was the only airport among India’s five busiest aviation hubs to register growth in passenger traffic in June 2026, while Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai all recorded year-on-year declines, according to data released by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).Hyderabad and Chennai recorded the steepest declines of 12.9 per cent and 12.7 per cent respectively.Delhi airport handled 65.79 lakh passengers during the month, a 6.8 per cent increase over 61.63 lakh in June 2025, further widening its lead as the country’s busiest airport. Mumbai retained its position as the second-busiest airport followed by Bengaluru remaining in third place; Hyderabad in fourth and Chennai in fifth, the data says.Indian airports handled 3.34 crore passengers in June 2026, down by around 2 per cent per cent from the corresponding month last year, indicating that the slowdown was reflected across the country’s aviation sector, though with significant variations among individual airports.The contrasting performances underscore the uneven traffic trends across India’s major aviation hubs. While Delhi continued to expand its passenger base, Bengaluru remained relatively resilient despite a marginal decline. Mumbai posted a moderate contraction, whereas Hyderabad and Chennai emerged as the weakest performers among the top five airports during the month.International trafficAmong the country’s five busiest airports, Delhi remained the dominant international gateway in June 2026, handling the highest number of overseas passengers and also emerging as the only airport to register year-on-year growth. In contrast, Mumbai, the second-largest international hub, recorded a decline in overseas traffic, while Bengaluru posted a comparatively modest fall.Hyderabad and Chennai witnessed the steepest contractions in international passenger traffic among the top five airports, mirroring the weakness seen in their overall passenger volumes during the month.Domestic trafficDomestic passenger traffic presented a relatively mixed picture. Delhi again led the country with healthy growth, reinforcing its position as India’s busiest airport. Mumbai and Bengaluru remained the second and third busiest domestic airports, although both registered declines compared with June 2025.Hyderabad and Chennai also reported lower domestic passenger volumes, contributing to their overall double-digit decline in total traffic, says the data.J Krishnan, an expert in aviation, said the uncertainties prevailing in the Middle East region have severely impacted passenger travel both as workforce and tourist. The steep decline follows the broader profile of the passenger,purpose and prevailing conditionsTourist bound for other destinations are impacted by transit stoppage airport falling value of the rupee and enhanced value propositions offered by the domestic destinationsThe non-stop services to destinations like Amsterdam, Paris, San Francisco and Tokyo goes well with Bengaluru when compared with Chennai and Hyderabad. For Central Asian destinations, Delhi and Mumbai are preferred airports, he said.Vinod Kumar, Manager Sales - South India, STIC Travel Group, said based on current trends, international travel from India is showing clear signs of recovery. This improvement follows the initial memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran to resolve their recent conflict, which included the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.“We are seeing increased activity across the industry. Travel agents and tour operators are busy with a steady influx of travelers initiating visa processing and planning holidays after a 2-3 month pause,” he said. “We are receiving a strong volume of cruise inquiries for highly sought-after destinations worldwide, including the Arctic and Antarctica,” he added.Published on July 31, 2026
