Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Apr 28: Passenger traffic at Srinagar International Airport has witnessed a steep decline following the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Anantnag.
According to the data, the number of passengers travelling through Srinagar Airport fell noticeably over the past few days, beginning April 23, soon after the Pahalgam attack.
It says, on April 23, a total of 17,653 passengers travelled through the airport across 112 flights with 6,561 arrivals and 11,092 departures.
However, from the very next day, the numbers started dropping. On April 24, the airport handled 15,836 passengers on 118 flights including 4,456 arrivals and 11,380 departures.
The downward trend continued on April 25, with 14,041 passengers travelling on 100 scheduled flights, in addition to a few additional flights that carried minimal numbers—24 arrivals and 794 departures on four extra flights. Similarly, on April 26, Srinagar Airport witnessed 14,783 passengers travelling through 106 scheduled flights, with an additional three flights carrying 28 arriving and 351 departing passengers.
Airport officials said that while flight operations have remained largely unaffected in terms of the number of flights, the load factor (passenger occupancy) has fallen. “The fear triggered by the attack has led to a dip in tourist arrivals, affecting the overall air traffic,” an official said.
He said that the security situation continues to be monitored closely and that all flights are operating normally, but the immediate aftermath of the attack has definitely impacted air travel demand.
Meanwhile, travel industry stakeholders, especially those associated with tourism, said they are worried about the declining footfall and its potential impact on Kashmir’s tourism season.
“April to June is our prime season. Such incidents severely dent the confidence of tourists. The dip in air traffic is already reflecting this,” said a travel operator in Srinagar, adding that most of the bookings have been cancelled.
Meanwhile, the authorities have assured enhanced security measures in and around tourist hotspots to ensure the safety of visitors.
Notably, the attack in Pahalgam claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists and was widely condemned. Security has since been heightened across South Kashmir and other tourist areas.
