Kannur International Airport Limited (KIAL) has expressed confidence that passenger traffic will continue to rebound after a temporary setback caused by the unprecedented geopolitical crisis in West Asia. The airport recorded its highest-ever annual passenger traffic in 2025.
The airport handled 1.5 million passengers during the 2025 calendar year, a 16% increase over 2024. Following the expansion of domestic and international services by Air India Express and IndiGo, KIAL had projected handling nearly 1.8 million passengers in the current financial year before the conflict in West Asia disrupted Gulf operations.
KIAL managing director Dinesh Kumar said the airport’s long-term fundamentals remained strong despite temporary challenges.
“The Kannur airport has always functioned with transparency, accountability and strict adherence to established procedures, statutory regulations and institutional protocols. All operations, procurement processes and administrative decisions are carried out in accordance with applicable rules and governance frameworks,” he said.
He added that the airport’s greatest strength had been the trust reposed in it by the people of north Kerala and the expatriate community. “That confidence enabled us to achieve our highest-ever passenger traffic in 2025. Several important development initiatives are in the pipeline, and we are confident they will further strengthen the airport and take it to greater heights,” the managing director said.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, international passenger traffic at the airport declined by 92% year on year in March 2026, compared with 47% at Calicut, 39% at Thiruvananthapuram, and 37% at Kochi. Overall passenger traffic at Kannur fell by 62%, while the decline at the other Kerala airports remained below 35%. However, recovery has gathered pace with the gradual restoration of international connectivity.
International passenger traffic improved by 19% in April, rose to 45% in May, and reached 65% in June. As of July, nearly 95% of scheduled operations have resumed, with Air India Express and IndiGo restoring services to major Gulf destinations.
Published – July 09, 2026 12:53 am IST
