Mangalore International Airport handled 12.42 lakh passengers in the first nine months of 2015-16, according JT Radhakrishna, Airport Director.
A press release by the Airports Authority of India in Mangaluru said here on Monday that the airport handled 1.62 lakh passengers in December alone.
The airport has witnessed a growth of around 40 per cent in the handling of international passengers, and 15 per cent in the handling of domestic passengers during the first nine months of the current financial year.
Radhakrishna said the airport, which is witnessing a record handling of passengers, is expecting more than 16 lakh passengers during 2015-16.
He said that Mangalore International Airport is the 12th largest airport handling international passengers in the country after Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, Ahmedabad and Tiruchy.
The airport has been witnessing steady growth in the handling of passengers for the past several years.
While the total number of passengers handled at Mangalore airport stood at 8.45 lakh in 2010-11, it increased to 8.91 lakh passengers in 2011-12. During 2012-13, the passenger handling at the airport crossed a million. It handled 10.43 lakh passengers during that year.
In 2013-14, the Mangalore International Airport handled 12.83 passengers. This was followed by 13.07 lakh passengers in 2014-15.