Surat Airport Crosses 13.29 Lakh Passengers in 9 Months of 2025

Surat | Gujarat –In a remarkable milestone for the diamond city, Surat International Airport has handled over 13.29 lakh passengers between January and September 2025, reflecting the city’s growing aviation footprint. Despite infrastructure bottlenecks and temporary flight cancellations due to the Iran-Israel conflict, the airport continues to register steady domestic and international growth.

According to official data, 11.82 lakh domestic passengers and 1.46 lakh international passengers travelled through Surat Airport in just nine months — the highest figure recorded this year.

“The consistent growth in passenger traffic underscores Surat’s economic vitality and tourism potential,” said an airport official. “However, improving infrastructure and resolving expansion hurdles are now crucial to sustaining this momentum.”

Passenger Traffic Figures (January–September 2025)

Month      Domestic    International    Total Passengers

January      1,45,917         18,034                     1,63,951

February    1,30,433       15,487                      1,45,920

March         1,37,144        14,989                      1,52,133

April            1,31,790       16,316                       1,48,106

May             1,45,135       18,790                       1,63,925

June            1,27,652      15,560                       1,43,212

July             1,16,149      16,231                        1,32,362

August        1,29,268    15,442                         1,44,710

September  1,19,185    15,676                         1,34,861

Total          11,82,853   1,46,507                     13,29,360

Challenges Amid Growth

While the airport now operates 24×7, industry insiders highlight that poor infrastructure and stalled expansion plans are limiting further growth. The 2290-meter runway, delayed land acquisition, and lack of a Category I Instrument Landing System (ILS) have deterred new international carriers from adding Surat to their network.

“Airlines are reluctant to introduce new routes until critical infrastructure upgrades are completed,” said a senior aviation analyst. “Surat’s potential as a major aviation hub remains untapped due to these persistent issues.”

Cargo Performance Adds to the Momentum

Surat Airport also handled 6,069.3 metric tonnes of cargo during the first nine months of 2025 — a strong indicator of the city’s expanding trade and logistics capacity.

Despite the operational hurdles, Surat’s aviation growth trajectory reflects its status as a key economic engine of Gujarat. With continued investments and infrastructure improvements, experts believe the airport could soon handle over 17 lakh passengers annually, cementing its position as one of western India’s fastest-growing airports.