Mumbai: With 13.6 million passengers flying from Mumbai through more than 82,000 flights, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) recorded a slow growth in passenger traffic and air traffic movements in the first quarter of financial year 2025-26. The Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Europe were the top regions to where the passengers from Mumbai flew in three months.
Geopolitical Tensions, Air India Crash Hit Travel Sentiment
The first quarter of FY26 offered a challenging environment with regional airspace restrictions, geopolitical conditions, temporary airspace closures in the Middle East and a momentary dip in passenger sentiment stemming from the Air India crash in Ahmedabad on June 12, which killed 260 people. Its effects were also seen on passenger traffic and air traffic movements at Mumbai’s CSMIA as its growth slowed down in the first quarter.
Passenger Traffic Rises Marginally to 13.6 Million in Q1
The total number of passengers travelling to and from CSMIA rose to 13.6 million in the first quarter of FY26, which was a 1.1% year-on-year growth from 13.4 million passengers in the first quarter of previous year. Although passenger traffic recorded a minimal growth, it slowed down due to various factors, compared to 7.4% growth recorded in FY25.
Air Traffic Movements See 1.3% Uptick; April 30 Busiest Day
The airport facilitated 82,369 air traffic movements during the quarter, marking a 1.3% increase over 81,294 ATMs in the first quarter of previous year. However, the growth was slow in comparison to 6.8% in FY25. The international ATMs recorded a growth of 3.3%.
The busiest day of the quarter was recorded on April 30, with the airport handling 989 ATMs in a single day. The quarter also witnessed a significant rise in passenger traffic during the summer holiday season, with the highest single-day traffic of 1.61 passengers was recorded on May 30.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London Top International Destinations
During the quarter, the top domestic destinations from CSMIA were Delhi, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, while the leading international destinations included Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and London. In terms of the first port of departure on international travel regions, the Middle East accounted for the highest share at 48%, followed by the Asia-Pacific region at 30% and Europe at 14%.
Air Astana, Royal Jordanian Begin Ops from Mumbai
Notably, CSMIA broadened its airline partner base of international carriers in this quarter by welcoming Air Astana and Royal Jordanian Airlines, which commenced operations in April and June 2025, respectively, connecting Mumbai with destinations in the Middle East and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region.
CSMIA Adds New Routes to Fujairah, Gaya, Porbandar, Amravati
The network was further strengthened by connecting Fujairah and new domestic connections to Porbandar, Gaya, and Amravati. The expanded network now spans 54 international and 67 domestic destinations served by 51 airlines.
