Mangaluru International Airport Prepares for 26% Surge in Winter Travel
Mangaluru, October 25, 2023: As the winter schedule sets to commence on October 29, Mangaluru International Airport is poised with anticipation.
The return of SpiceJet, coupled with the debut of Air India Express in the domestic sector, along with strategic expansions by Indian aviation stalwart IndiGo, promises an elevated travel experience for passengers. Notably, Air India is also set to reinforce its presence in the domestic market.
Starting November 6, SpiceJet will introduce two daily flights to Bengaluru, utilizing a 78-seater Bombardier aircraft, with the exception of Tuesdays. Air India Express (AIE) is poised to kickstart its domestic operations from Mangaluru, initiating with two daily flights to Bengaluru commencing November 15.
The airport foresees an impressive upswing in flights, with an anticipated growth of up to 26% from October 29 to November 15. This uptick is attributed to airlines progressively enhancing their winter schedules during this period. Presently, the airport facilitates 136 weekly flights, encompassing both domestic and international routes. This figure is poised to incrementally rise to 138 flights (a 1% growth) on October 29, ascend to 145 (7%) from November 3, peak at 158 flights (16%) from November 6, culminating in an impressive 26% expansion with 172 flights from November 15.
Starting November 6, SpiceJet will introduce two daily flights to Bengaluru, utilizing a 78-seater Bombardier aircraft, with the exception of Tuesdays, when the airline will operate a single flight. IndiGo, on the other hand, will incorporate a fourth daily flight to Mumbai from November 3, and subsequently augment it to five flights every second and fourth Saturday. Furthermore, IndiGo’s operation to Chennai, facilitated by ATR aircraft, will receive a substantial boost, with additional flights scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, in addition to the existing daily service.
IndiGo’s operations to Bengaluru (5 daily flights), Hyderabad (2 daily), and Delhi (1 daily) will remain unaffected. Pune, however, will witness three flights per week, specifically on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays.
Air India Express (AIE) is poised to kickstart its domestic operations from Mangaluru, initiating with two daily flights to Bengaluru commencing November 15. The second daily flight on its inbound route will originate from Kannur, traverse Bengaluru, and culminate in Mangaluru. Conversely, on the outbound route, it will connect Mangaluru to Thiruvananthapuram via Bengaluru.
This expansion will elevate daily flights to Bengaluru from the current 5 to an impressive 9, while the Mumbai route is set to experience an upswing from 5 to 6 flights, with an escalation to 7 on every second and fourth Saturday.
IndiGo is also contemplating the re-establishment of direct flights to Patna, Ranchi, and Kolkata, as the winter season unfolds, concluding on March 30, 2024.
On the international front, AIE is slated to operate to Dubai (2 daily), Abu Dhabi (4 times a week), Dammam, and Muscat (3 times a week), Doha and Bahrain (2 times a week), and Kuwait (once a week). IndiGo, meanwhile, will sustain its four weekly flights to Dubai, while SpiceJet actively contemplates the resumption of flights to Dubai during the winter season.
