Passenger footfall at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport, Amritsar, witnessed a sharp decline in December 2025, according to the latest monthly data released by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).As per AAI data, total passenger traffic in December 2025 stood at 267,525, compared to 340,408 in December 2024, reflecting a steep 21.4 per cent year-on-year decline. International passenger numbers dropped from 110,670 to 95,774 (–13.5 per cent), while domestic traffic fell more sharply from 229,738 to 171,751 (–25.2 per cent), indicating that the slowdown was more pronounced on the domestic front.For the full calendar year 2025, total passenger traffic stood at 31.45 lakh, down 8.2 per cent from the record 34.26 lakh in 2024. While international traffic remained relatively resilient, registering a marginal 1.9 per cent dip from 11.14 lakh in 2024 to 10.92 lakh in 2025, domestic traffic saw a significant 11.2 per cent decrease from 23.12 lakh to 20.53 lakh.Aircraft movement data mirrored this trend. Total aircraft movements declined by 12.4 per cent in 2025, falling from 22,614 in 2024 to 19,817 in 2025. December alone recorded a 20.8 per cent decline compared to the same month last year.Sameep Singh Gumtala, Global Convener of the FlyAmritsar Initiative, said that although the airport witnessed a record-breaking start to the year — with March 2025 recording an all-time high of 343,384 passengers — the momentum was disrupted in May due to the India-Pakistan conflict, which led to temporary closures and reduced flight frequencies.“The year-end decline was further exacerbated by extreme weather and capacity cuts. Despite the airport’s advanced CAT-3B Instrument Landing System, dense fog in December frequently reduced visibility to near zero, forcing several late-evening and early-morning cancellations. The suspension of international services by Neos (Italy) and Air India Express (Bangkok), along with temporary frequency cuts by IndiGo in December, significantly reduced seat availability,” Gumtala said.Office-bearers of the FlyAmritsar Initiative also expressed disappointment over what they described as the state government’s “step-motherly treatment” of the airport. Gumtala pointed out that while the Punjab Government actively promotes bus connectivity to Delhi Airport, it has failed to provide dedicated public transport links to Amritsar’s own international gateway.“Instead of strengthening local connectivity, state policy appears to favour Delhi and Chandigarh,” Gumtala said. “Boosting Punjab’s economy requires supporting Amritsar Airport through improved ground infrastructure.”Despite the setback, Amritsar remains internationally connected to Dubai, Sharjah, Doha, Birmingham, London Gatwick, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. Domestically, the airport offers flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Pune and Kullu.
