Kannur International Airport recorded its highest ever passenger traffic in 2025, handling 15 lakh passengers, the airport authorities said. This beats the previous record of 14.7 lakh set in 2019. Passenger numbers grew by 16% compared to the previous year and were 3% above the pre-COVID peak of 2019, showing strong recovery and growth. The first four months of 2025 ranked among the airport’s top ten busiest months. International travel drove the increase with 10.51 lakh passengers, up 15% from last year. Domestic traffic also rose 21% to 4.58 lakh passengers. The busiest routes included Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Sharjah, and Bengaluru. Muscat, Mumbai, and Delhi followed. The entire passenger traffic was served by Air India Express and IndiGo, holding 53% and 47% shares respectively. Kannur International Airport Limited reported a solid 23% rise in financial growth over the previous year. The airport has been operationally profitable for six months, covering both operating and finance costs. Airport officials added, "Air India Express is expected to restart cancelled flights during the summer schedule from April." New operations by Fly 91 and Air Kerala will further boost connectivity from Kannur. Construction of a Category 1 approach lighting system is planned for this year. Work on a solar power plant is nearly complete, said the authorities.