Beyond its spiritual significance, this year's Maha Kumbh emerged as a remarkable aviation event, transforming Prayagraj's domestic airport into a bustling hub of aerial activity. According to data verified by India Today's Open-Source Intelligence team, the airport handled more than 2,000 flights between January 13 and February 26, 2025.

Before the religious congregation began, Prayagraj Airport managed approximately 15 daily flight movements. This number surged dramatically to a record 120 on February 18. Throughout the event, the airport handled over 100 flights daily on average—a sevenfold increase from pre-Kumbh figures. Flight tracking data confirms 2,158 total flight movements during the 45-day festival period.

Peak traffic occurred on February 22-23, with 49 flights landing daily ahead of Maha Shivratri on February 26. Similar spikes coincided with other sacred bathing days, including Makar Sankranti (15 flights), Mauni Amavasya (22 flights), Basant Panchami (22 flights), and Maghi Purnima (27 flights).

Delhi emerged as the primary source of flights to Prayagraj with 383 originations, followed by Mumbai (159), Bengaluru (101), Ahmedabad (92), Hyderabad (78), and Kolkata (76). Beyond major metros, smaller airports like Guwahati (11 flights), Jaipur (18 flights), and Indore (9 flights) also connected passengers to the religious gathering.

## Elite Visitors Arrive on Private Jets

The festival attracted over 100 business jets carrying prominent figures from industry and entertainment. Notable visitors arriving via private aircraft included Gautam Adani, Mukesh Ambani, and Isha Ambani. Corporate aircraft from Adani Group, Reliance Industries, Wonder Cement, Oberoi Hotels, Poonawalla Group, and Jindal Steel were among those spotted at the airport.

A diverse range of aircraft models landed in Prayagraj, including Hawker, Cessna, Embraer Legacy, Dassault Falcon, Bombardier Global, Boeing 737, Learjet, and Beech 390.

## Infrastructure Enhancements

In anticipation of increased air traffic, Prayagraj Airport underwent significant upgrades. The terminal area expanded nearly fourfold from 6,700 to 25,500 square meters, doubling the old terminal's peak-hour passenger capacity from 540 to 1,080 and adding a new terminal accommodating 1,620 passengers.

Additional improvements included:

- Tripled parking capacity from 200 to 600 vehicles

- Increased check-in counters from 8 to 42

- Expanded security screening machines from 4 to 10

- Added taxi track for improved aircraft movement

- Increased aircraft parking bays from 4 to 15

- Enhanced baggage handling with three additional conveyor belts

- Increased airport gates from 4 to 11

The upgraded facility now connects Prayagraj to 17 cities, more than double the eight destinations served in December 2024.