Uttar Pradesh Sees Major Surge in Air Passenger Traffic and Cargo

Uttar Pradesh has recorded a substantial increase in air passenger traffic, growing by 14.6% year-on-year to reach 60 lakh travelers between April and August 2025. This growth has increased Uttar Pradesh's share in India's total air traffic to 3.52%, meaning one in every 30 air passengers in India now travels from UP. The state government attributes this success to its 'Connected UP, Prosperous UP' mission, which aims to improve transport infrastructure for economic development, driving tourism, trade, and employment.

Passenger numbers have surged from 59.97 lakh in 2016-17 to 142.28 lakh in FY 2024-25, comprising 129.29 lakh domestic and 12.99 lakh international passengers. The aviation sector has maintained a strong Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 10.1%. Despite a dip during the COVID-19 pandemic to 48.35 lakh in FY 2020-21, UP achieved rapid recovery, doubling its traffic within two years. In FY 2024-25, overall passenger traffic grew by 25.9% compared to the previous year, with domestic traffic up 15.7% and international up 4.3%.

Key cities have driven this growth, with Varanasi, Prayagraj, Gorakhpur, and Kanpur showing significant increases. The newly dedicated Ayodhya Airport has seen traffic grow from over 2 lakh in FY 2023-24 to more than 11 lakh in FY 2024-25. Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Gorakhpur also reported substantial passenger increases.

Uttar Pradesh is also becoming a significant air logistics hub. Air cargo volume has seen a 19.1% CAGR since 2016-17, reaching a record 28,360 metric tonnes in FY 2024-25. Cargo volume grew by 9.4% overall in FY 2024-25, with specific airports like Prayagraj and Varanasi showing impressive percentage increases. Kanpur and Agra registered record growth in cargo in April-August 2025.

The upcoming Noida International Airport is expected to further accelerate this momentum, enhancing connectivity for Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states.

Impact This news indicates strong infrastructure development and economic growth in Uttar Pradesh, positively impacting sectors related to aviation, tourism, logistics, and construction. It signals increased business activity and consumer spending power within the state, making it an attractive region for investment.

Impact Rating: 7/10

Difficult Terms: * **Year-on-year (YoY):** A comparison of financial results or statistics for a given period compared to the same period in the previous year. * **Basis points (bps):** A unit of measure used in finance to describe the percentage change in a financial instrument or rate. One basis point is equal to 0.01% (1/100th of a percent). * **Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR):** The mean annual growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time longer than one year. * **Air logistics hub:** A major center for the movement and distribution of goods transported by air. * **Metric tonnes:** A unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms.