With the commencement of operations at the Ayodhya airport and the initiation of regular services from January 6, there is an anticipated boost in religious tourism across the country. However, Airport Authority of India (AAI) data indicates a year-on-year decline in domestic air traffic for temple towns Shirdi and Tirupati between April and November in FY24. Contrarily, Amritsar and Varanasi experienced a year-on-year increase in air traffic during the same period.
Despite a steady influx of devotees to Shirdi and Tirupati, the decrease in air traffic is attributed to a reduction in flights by SpiceJet. Another contributing factor may be the addition of flights from Nashik, located 90 kilometres from Shirdi, as suggested by Ameya Joshi, the founder of the aviation blog Network Thoughts.
In the April-November period, Shirdi airport handled 440,998 domestic passengers, reflecting an almost 8 per cent decline from the previous year. Tirupati airport, with 567,023 passengers during the same period, experienced a 5 per cent decrease. In contrast, Amritsar and Varanasi airports witnessed a substantial increase, serving 1,288,238 and 1,877,413 passengers, respectively, marking gains of over 18 per cent and 20 per cent. Swati Pandey, Managing Director of Maharashtra Airport Development Company (MADC), stated that discussions are underway with SpiceJet and other airlines to introduce new services to Shirdi.
To accommodate the growing traffic, MADC has invited bids for the construction of a new integrated terminal building at Shirdi Airport. The current terminal can handle 300 passengers per hour, while the new facility is designed to accommodate 1,200 passengers, equipped with custom and immigration facilities, with an expected completion time of two to two-and-a-half years.
Shirdi Airport, operated by MADC, boasts nine aircraft parking bays, which are also being offered to airlines for night parking. Meanwhile, in Tirupati, efforts are being made to establish international connectivity. The airport was designated for international operations in 2017, and steps are being taken to secure international flights, including engaging with airlines and seeking support from the central government. The ongoing extension of Tirupati airport's runway from 2,285 meters to 3,810 meters is progressing, enabling the operation of wide-body planes. The completion of this extension depends on the removal of an extra high-tension power line in the runway's approach path, according to Tirupati's airport director Basava Raju.
