Mangaluru – Mangalore International Airport (MIA) is on a steady growth path and is projected to handle 6 million passengers annually by 2035 and 18 million by 2070, said Srikanth Tata, Head of Operations at MIA. Speaking at the CII Mangaluru Infrastructure and Logistics Summit held at Hotel Vivanta, Tata highlighted the airport’s pivotal role in regional economic and logistics development.
To support this vision, the existing Bajpe airport structure will be demolished to make way for an upgraded international terminal. Meanwhile, domestic operations will continue from the integrated new terminal at Kenjar.
Tata added that cargo handling capacity across the eight airports managed by Adani Airport Holdings Limited (AAHL) will expand significantly—from 9,000 metric tonnes currently to 12,500 by 2035, and a massive 84,000 tonnes by 2070.
During the session, Raja Gupta, Head of Cargo at Adani Airports, noted that MIA’s cargo utilisation is currently around 30–31%. To improve this, AAHL is collaborating with key players like Air India and Indigo to launch bonded cargo services, connecting MIA’s domestic cargo to major international hubs such as Mumbai and New Delhi.
Gupta also stressed the need for testing labs at MIA to facilitate trade benefits like duty drawback eligibility—currently available at Kochi, Bangalore, and Kannur airports.
These efforts are part of a larger strategy to position MIA as a logistics and economic driver along Karnataka’s coast.