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Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata has registered its highest-ever revenue and profit figures in the financial year 2023-24, setting a new benchmark for performance among airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI). This achievement breaks the airport’s previous record set in 2019-20, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and firmly re-establishes Kolkata as the leading AAI-operated airport in the country.

The airport reported a net profit of Rs 670 crore, a significant jump that is nearly 2.5 times higher than Chennai’s Rs 282 crore. In terms of revenue, Kolkata recorded Rs 1,578.6 crore, 30 per cent more than Chennai's Rs 1,212.8 crore.

"In 2023-24, Kolkata airport's profit increased by 23 per cent over the previous highest in 2019-20 when the facility clocked Rs 545 crore. While the figure is the highest ever, the airport has a lot more potential. Currently, we are constrained by the infrastructure inadequacies that limit the number of wide-body aircraft that the airport can handle. But we are working to enhance capacity. Kolkata airport's profitability should cross Rs 1,000 crore by 2025-26," said airport director Pravat Ranjan Beuria.

Passenger And Traffic Growth Drives Performance

The surge in profitability was underpinned by robust traffic revenue, which accounts for nearly 79 per cent of the airport’s total earnings. This includes income from landings, takeoffs, and aircraft parking. While domestic operations remain the backbone of this growth, contributing around 85 per cent of traffic revenue, international traffic continues to play a vital role, especially from Southeast Asian routes. Kolkata has also cemented its role as a transit hub for the northeast, further boosting its domestic operations.

According to Airport Director C. Pattabhi Beuria, “On the domestic front, we have already surpassed the pre-Covid passenger footfall, and there has been a steady growth in revenue in passenger traffic as well as non-passenger traffic sectors. The passenger count will increase with the addition of more domestic and international flights.”

Passenger Numbers Reach New Heights

Between January and December 2024, the airport handled 2.1 crore passengers and over 1.5 lakh flights—an increase of 32 lakh passengers from 2023. This growth puts the airport just shy of its 2019 peak of 2.3 crore passengers. During the pandemic, traffic had plummeted to 94.6 lakh passengers. The average passenger load per flight has also hit a new high of 146, surpassing the 2019 figure of 143. By comparison, the numbers stood at 129 in 2023 and 123 in 2022.

Strategic Investments And Green Initiatives

Kolkata airport's recovery and expansion have been supported by substantial infrastructure investments. Major completed projects include Rs 329 crore for airside capacity enhancement, Rs 247 crore for a new Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower, Rs 9 crore for apron construction between bays 11 and 48, RS 77 crore for a CISF complex at Narayanpur, and Rs 70.4 crore for runway resurfacing.

Ongoing developments include Rs 109 crore earmarked for terminal capacity upgrades and Rs 299 crore for a new domestic cargo terminal. The airport’s push towards solar power and renewable energy sources has also helped cut operational costs.

Strong Comeback Post-Losses

Despite suffering a loss of Rs 193.7 crore in FY 2020, Kolkata airport rebounded strongly with a Rs 145.3 crore profit in FY 2021. The 2023-24 figures now mark a full-circle recovery, driven by strategic planning, infrastructure upgrades, and a steady return of passenger confidence.

As the airport aims to boost non-traffic revenue to 25-30 per cent over the next decade, its current trajectory suggests a sustainable and forward-looking model for growth in India’s aviation sector.