Chennai: Chennai International Airport lost its third spot to Bengaluru in international passenger traffic in Oct. Experts say inadequate infrastructure and operational issues are behind Chennai airport's inability to attract international flyers.
While Kempegowda International Airport handled 4.9 lakh international passengers in Oct, registering 24.3% growth compared to Oct 2023, Chennai's Anna International Airport registered a dip to 4.5 lakh, which is 1.8% less than Oct 2023.
Bengaluru, which was in fifth place in Sept with 4.3 lakh international passengers, soared to the third spot, pushing Chennai and Kochi to fourth and fifth places, respectively.
Chennai recorded a decline in international passenger footfall despite introduction of new international routes to destinations such as Brunei and Phuket in Thailand, and increased frequency to Addis Ababa, Jeddah, Sri Lanka, and Muscat in the last few months.
However, from April to Oct, Chennai was slightly ahead of Bengaluru by 2 lakh passengers. Chennai handled 33.63 lakh international passengers in those six months, while Bengaluru handled 31.73 lakh.
Table-topper Delhi airport handled 17.5 lakh international passengers in Oct, while Mumbai, the second busiest airport, handled 12.5 lakh international passengers.
Captain Mohan Ranganathan, an aviation safety consultant, said poor planning and infrastructure at Chennai airport deter international operators. "Chennai has been the most inconvenient airport for business-class flyers due to its lack of facilities such as easier access to cabs and faster check-in, though it is well within the city limits," he said.
C Mohan, ex-Air India general manager, cited the high tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) in Tamil Nadu as one of the reasons pushing international flights to look elsewhere. "In Tamil Nadu, VAT on ATF is 28%, while it is 18% in Karnataka and just 1% in Telangana. Airlines will factor in the cost incurred to decide on operations," he said.