Kolkata Airport News: Kali Puja and Bhaiphonta Rush Pushes Passenger Traffic Up 63%
Kolkata Airport News
Festive homecoming celebrations for Kali Puja, Diwali, and Bhaiphonta brought heavy passenger crowds to Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport over the past week. Thousands of Bengalis living, working, or studying in other states flew home to celebrate with their families before beginning a massive return rush once the festivities concluded.
Airport traffic data captures a clear two-way wave of festive travel. Ahead of Kali Puja and Diwali on November 8, inbound arrivals peaked as travelers poured into the city. Barely four days later—immediately following Bhaiphonta on Wednesday, November 11—passenger flow reversed sharply as outbound departures surged.
| Date | Arrivals | Departures | Key Travel Trend |
| Nov 7 (Sat) | 32,048 | — | Peak pre-festival inbound rush |
| Nov 8 (Sun) | 29,050 | 16,797 | Kali Puja & Diwali arrivals continue |
| Nov 9 (Mon) | — | 20,977 | Early post-Diwali departures begin |
| Nov 10 (Tue) | — | 24,311 | Outbound travel steadily climbs |
| Nov 11 (Wed) | 29,924 | 27,311 | Post-Bhaiphonta return rush peaks |
Across November 7 and November 8 alone, Kolkata Airport welcomed 61,098 inbound passengers. By Wednesday, November 11, daily departures jumped to 27,311—a surge of nearly 63% compared to November 8, and 12.3% higher than Tuesday’s outbound count. Meanwhile, strong arrival numbers (29,924 on Wednesday) kept terminals busy in both directions.
To manage the back-to-back crowds following the Durga Puja season—when the airport handled roughly 3.5 lakh passengers between Sasthi and Dashami—airport authorities cancelled staff leaves and deployed additional personnel at baggage conveyor belts, trolley zones, and CISF security checkpoints.
The festive homecoming also came at a steep cost for flyers, as one-way ticket prices into Kolkata nearly doubled ahead of the celebrations:
- Mumbai to Kolkata: ~₹23,000
- Ahmedabad to Kolkata: ~₹20,600
- Delhi to Kolkata: ~₹13,700
- Bengaluru & Chennai to Kolkata: ~₹13,500
In contrast, tickets for flights departing Kolkata on the same pre-festival dates were available for roughly ₹7,000 to ₹9,000 before reversing as the return rush picked up.
Ajeet Yadav is an aviation enthusiast covering airline news, airports, aircraft, and industry developments through well-researched and reliable reporting.
