International airports in the northern region are getting busier as the number of people opting for air travel has been growing exponentially. In 2018-19, Srinagar International Airport witnessed a 12.2% growth in passenger traffic (domestic and international) followed by Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Amritsar (8.8%). Chandigarh International Airport, however, witnessed a marginal decline in passenger traffic by nearly 2% because of restricted timings and disruptions due to frequent closure of runway for repair and extension. The 24X7 operations were held up as the runway length restricted the long-haul aircraft operations.
According to Airports Authority of India (AAI) data, in 2018-19, 27.37 lakh passengers travelled through the Srinagar airport for both domestic and international flights, 12.2%-jump over 2017-18. It handled 24.40 lakh passengers in 2017-18. To further boost the traffic, in its recently approved Master Plan of Srinagar metropolitan region, the government has pitched for upgrade of infrastructure facilities and night landing facilities at the airport, as it is one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country.
