Doha ranked among the top destinations from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, India, in 2021, the airport disclosed in a statement.
According to Bangalore International Airport Ltd (BIAL), which manages KIA, Doha joins Dubai, Male, London Heathrow, and Frankfurt as the top cities, contributing 70% to the airport’s traffic. Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Goa were the top domestic routes with 40% of the traffic from the South Indian-based Airport.
“The second wave of COVID-19, which led to continued travel restrictions across the globe, followed by supply-side limitations on seat load had led to a decline in international traffic,” MD and CEO of BIAL, Hari Marar, said in a press statement.
“The positive environment in 2021 ignited hopes for a better 2022 in terms of recovery. However, the recent outbreak of the new Omicron variant followed by a rapid surge in COVID-19 cases across the country is expected to suppress growth further. We believe that air traffic will eventually recover. However, the pace of recovery will depend on factors such as favourable policies by regulators and easing of travel restrictions across the country and the globe, amongst others,” he added.
As international travel and tourism navigate the Coronavirus pandemic, travel restrictions worldwide saw global traffic drop by 15.5%, from 1.12 million in 2020 to 0.94 million in 2021.
Meanwhile, Doha, being ranked among the top destinations from one of the busiest airports in India, highlights its desirability among travellers and tourists.
The Hamad International Airport, Doha’s gateway, recently recorded a 41.37% increase in passenger footfall, serving 17.7 million passengers served in 2021. HIA currently serves 156 destinations, with eight new passenger destinations. Dhaka, Male, Dubai, Kathmandu, and London were among its busiest departing destinations in 2021.
