Both passenger and flight movement at Mangalore International Airport is picking up because of the decline in COVID-19 cases. Though there was a drop in number of passenger in January 2022 due to the then prevalent pandemic situation, the numbers in the second half of the financial year 2021-22 have increased drastically.

The total passenger movement, including international and domestic, in October 2021 stood at 1.19 lakh, in November it was 1.16 lakh, in December it stood at 1.38 lakh, in January 2022 it dropped to 92,012, in February it rose to 1.03 lakh and in March it touched 1.36 lakh. The number of flights operating via Mangalore Airport have also consistently increased. Against 996 movements, domestic, international and general aviation, in October, the airport recorded 1,030 traffic movements in November, 1,232 in December, 1,004 in January and 903 in February. Traffic movement in March made up for the slump in February with a total of 1,138 movements, the second highest after December.

The move by airlines to cash in on passenger buoyancy by adding new sectors, a through flight to Delhi via Pune, and increasing the frequency on existing domestic and international sectors too has helped the passenger and aircraft movements head steadily North. An increase in frequency of flights on the international sector too has contributed to the growth.