Nagaland: Dimapur Airport handled 3.20 lakh passengers in 2023-24

Dimapur, February 22 (MExN): The Dimapur Airport, the lone airport in Nagaland, handled a total of 3.20 lakh passengers in the 2023-24 financial year.

This represents an increase of over 6% from 3 lakh recorded in the FY 2022-23.

As per the State-wise Total Passenger Handling Capacity in Million Passenger Per Annum (MPPA) data provided by the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Murlidhar Mohol, 0.32 million passengers were handled in Nagaland. The annual passenger handling capacity as of December 31, 2024, is given as 0.50 million or 5 lakh.

Among the North-East states, Assam handled the most passengers at 7.39 million, well above its handling capacity of 4.95 million. The second highest was Tripura at 1.47 million, followed by Manipur at 1.27 million.

Across India, a total of 376.42 million passengers were handled in 2023-24. The passenger handling terminal capacity across India as of December 31, 2024, was 534.57 million.

Among the states and union territories, Delhi handled the most passengers at 73.67 million, followed by Maharashtra with 67.07 million and Karnataka with 40.53 million.

It must be noted here that flight movement at Dimapur Airport has seen a considerable increase in recent years. According to the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) data in December 2023, Dimapur Airport recorded a total of 2,529 landings or take-offs in FY 2020-21, which nearly doubled to 4,848 in 2021-22.

In 2022-23, aircraft movement further increased to 5,415, reflecting an increase of 2,886 landings or take-offs over the last three years — a rise of over 111%.

As per MoS Mohol's reply on February 13, with the repeal of the Air Corporation Act in March 1994, Indian domestic aviation has been fully deregulated. Airlines are free to select markets and routes, induct any aircraft type, and operate in compliance with the Routes Dispersal Guidelines (RDG) issued by the government, he said.

Thus, the decision to introduce air services to or from any airport depends on the airline operator's operational and commercial viability, he added.

Capacity & Handling Passenger in NE States in 2023-24