In what comes as a good news, India's aviation sector has recorded modest growth in the last financial year, with total passenger traffic rising by 1.9%.
Also, international travel surged by 4.2%, while domestic traffic grew at a slower 1.4%. Despite the overall pace, metro airports somehow continued to dominate passenger movement. There were also clear shifts in growth patterns across some of the key cities. Among them, one emerged as the fastest-growing hub and another retained its position as the country's busiest airport. So, which one bagged the spot? Read below to find out. Indira Gandhi International Airport: Still on Top, But Slowing Down And once again, Delhi continues to lead in overall passenger footfall, maintaining its status as India's busiest airport. However, it recorded a slight de-growth of 0.1% in FY26, pointing towards a plateau after years of steady expansion. As the country's primary international gateway, Delhi still handles the largest share of long-haul and connecting flights. Also Read: Jammu–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express: Launch Date, Timings, Route, Stops and Fare Details Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Mumbai recorded a 4.8% increase in passenger footfall in FY26. With this, it continued its position as one of the busiest aviation hubs in the country. Despite operating within some serious space constraints, the airport has managed to maintain steady growth. Also, it remains a critical point for both domestic connections and international departures. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru has registered the highest growth among metro airports with a 23.9% rise in passenger footfall. The airport handled over 72 lakh passengers in FY26 and this comes as a significant jump from the previous year. The surge can be further attributed to expanding international routes, strong business travel demand and the new infrastructure. Chennai International Airport Chennai also saw a 4.9% increase in passenger traffic - hinting towards stable growth. The airport, now, continues to serve as a major hub for South India, with strong connectivity to Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Also, the ongoing upgrades are contributing to improved passenger handling capacity. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport Then comes Hyderabad, which recorded an 8.2% growth in passenger footfall. This has positioned it among the faster-growing airports in the country. With expanding airline networks and operational efficiency, the airport is strengthening its role as a key transit point for both domestic and international travellers. More Details Kochi occupied the fifth place in rankings with 53.3 lakh footfall of international passengers, a growth of 1.7%. Followed by Kolkata, which was at sixth position. Guwahati, Mangalore and Bhubaneshwar saw a spike in traffic with nearly a one-fourth increase in footfalls, largely due to lower base numbers. Also Read: 95 Of The World’s Hottest Cities Are In India. Here’s Where You Should Head To Cool Off Meanwhile, airports at Amritsar, Goa Dabolim, Srinagar, Port Blair, Chandigarh, Indore and Vizag saw a dip in traffic, which was over 10% of the previous year.
