Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) in Mumbai recorded its strongest passenger performance ever in November 2025, as a combination of festive holiday travel and winter season demand propelled traffic volumes to unprecedented levels, official operational data shows.
The airport's most recent statistics show that 48.88 lakh (4.888 million) people traveled through CSMIA in November, the most in the airport's history. As early winter travel patterns formed as vacation travelers returned to the skies following peak festival dates, this surge was driven by persistent demand in both domestic and foreign sectors.
A highlight of the month was November 29, when CSMIA handled 1.76 lakh passengers in a single day, setting a new operational record for daily throughput at the airport. This surpassed earlier peaks recorded on November 15 and November 22, both of which also exceeded 1.72 lakh travellers, reflecting consistently heavy travel volumes throughout the high-season weekends.
There were about 54,000 foreign passengers and almost 1.22 lakh domestic passengers on the busiest day, indicating widespread demand across all route categories.
Operational data revealed that CSMIA handled roughly 27,960 air traffic movements during the month, with domestic flights continuing to account for the major share of total passengers. However, international travel also showed strong uptake, particularly for outbound holiday journeys.
Among international destinations, Dubai emerged as the busiest route, with over 2.09 lakh passengers, followed by London Heathrow (1.12 lakh) and Abu Dhabi (1.00 lakh). On the domestic front, Delhi remained the most popular destination, with more than 6.09 lakh travellers, ahead of Bengaluru (4.36 lakh) and Chennai (2.07 lakh).
Another major operational milestone was recorded on November 21. On this day, CSMIA handled its highest number of flights in a single day. A total of 1,036 flights were operated which showed flawless scheduling and efficient use of runways during peak hours.
The airport's excellent performance in November, according to industry analysts, emphasizes its significance as a major aviation hub. It is essential to both the global travel system and India's air transport network. The airport is nevertheless able to handle a high volume of passengers despite space constraints. This is especially significant as it is one of the world’s busiest single-runway airports.
During the financial year 2024–25, CSMIA served more than 55.1 million passengers. This made it the second-busiest airport in India, after Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Airport officials are getting ready for the ongoing passenger rush because travel demand is still high during the winter and New Year's season. Their goal is to effectively handle high volumes while preserving smooth operations and high-quality services.
