Kannur International Airport handled 15 lakh passengers in 2025, the highest annual footfall since operations commenced, representing 16% YoY growth and surpassing the pre-COVID peak of 14.7 lakh passengers in 2019 by 3%, signalling sustained recovery and strong regional demand.
International traffic drove growth with 10.51 lakh passengers (15% YoY increase), while domestic traffic surged 21% to 4.58 lakh passengers; Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Sharjah, and Bengaluru emerged as the busiest routes, reflecting strong Gulf connectivity and key domestic hub linkages.
Air Indian Express and IndiGo collectively operated 100% of passenger traffic with 53% and 47% market shares respectively, indicating a duopoly operational model and limited competitive diversity in Kannur's route network.
Kannur International Airport Ltd reported 23% financial growth over the prior financial year and achieved operational profitability for the past six months, with revenues covering operations and finance costs; upcoming capacity enhancements include Category 1 approach lighting system, solar power plant, and proposed services by Fly 91 and Air Kerala.
