Mangaluru: The ongoing conflict in West Asia has severely disrupted international flight operations at Mangaluru International Airport, leading to widespread cancellations and a sharp drop in passenger traffic.

According to available data, IndiGo cancelled 100 international flights between February 28 and March 31, including 49 arrivals and 51 departures.

Air India Express, which operates a large share of Gulf-bound services from Mangaluru, reported a significantly higher number of cancellations — 344 international flights during the same period, including 170 arrivals and 174 departures.

During the winter 2025–26 schedule, Mangaluru had direct international connectivity to cities such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait, Dammam, Bahrain, Doha and Jeddah. However, since the start of the summer schedule on March 29, operations have been reduced drastically, with flights now limited to Jeddah, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Between March 29 and April 6, the airport recorded just nine international departures and 12 arrivals — all operated by Air India Express.

The disruption comes after a period of steady growth. Before the crisis, Mangaluru International Airport was witnessing consistent increases in both passenger traffic and air traffic movements (ATMs). In January this year, the airport handled a record 2,45,708 passengers — including 1,63,966 domestic and 81,742 international travellers.

Flight activity had peaked earlier in October, when the airport recorded 1,641 ATMs, comprising 1,240 domestic, 379 international and 22 general aviation movements.

“The West Asia crisis has disrupted the global travel industry, and its impact is clearly visible here. Daily passenger numbers at MIA have dropped sharply from around 9,000 to nearly 5,000,” a source said, noting that the airport had been on a steady growth trajectory since beginning commercial operations on October 31, 2020.

Vathika Pai, proprietor of Vathika International Travels, said the situation has also hit the tourism sector hard.

“We are seeing cancellations for destinations like Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While demand for UAE travel usually dips in April and May due to summer, the ongoing crisis has worsened the decline,” she said.

However, she added that demand remains relatively stable for destinations such as Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

“Even so, overall travel sentiment has taken a hit, with many people hesitant to opt for international travel in the current situation,” she noted.