Hyderabad airport to launch new flights to Phuket, Hong Kong, Addis Ababa, Amsterdam, Riyadh

Pradeep Panicker, Chief Executive Officer, GMR Hyderabad International Airport

Hyderabad International Airport (HIAL) is working to expand its international connectivity and has signed agreements with airlines to launch new flights to Phuket (HKT), Hong Kong (HKG), Addis Ababa (ADD), Amsterdam (AMS), and Riyadh (RUH) in 2025, Pradeep Panicker, Chief Executive Officer, GMR Hyderabad International Airport, told Moneycontrol in an interview.

The airport is also in discussions with several Indian and international carriers to launch flights to destinations such as Paris, Australia, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Krabi, Kathmandu, and Medina over the next 12 to 18 months, Panicker said. Further, he added that there is significant interest in connecting Hyderabad to destinations such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Q. Before the pandemic, Hyderabad was the city with the most international connections on India's eastern coast. How much of that pre-pandemic traffic has returned to the airport? 

Hyderabad airport saw a substantial rise in international traffic in FY24, despatching 4.2 million passengers compared to 3.92 million in FY20. This growth was driven by Telangana’s status as the state with the highest per capita income in south India —double the national average — and rising disposable income, which has spurred interest in destinations such as Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand.

International capacity has grown from 46,832 seats per week pre-Covid to 58,783 post-Covid. New routes have been introduced to Frankfurt, Dhaka, Don Mueang (Bangkok), Dammam, and Ras Al Khaimah. Airlines like IndiGo, Air India Express, Nok Air, Salam Air, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa, Thai AirAsia, and Singapore Airlines have expanded their services from Hyderabad. Singapore Airlines has deployed wide-body aircraft and increased flights to Singapore, while IndiGo has added seven weekly flights to meet the demand. Domestic connectivity has also improved with 10 new flights introduced in 2024.

Looking forward, strong demand for new routes is anticipated, with operations set to begin to Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Amsterdam, and some southeast  Asian cities in the next six months.

Q. How many new international connections are you looking to add in the next 12-18 months? 

Air India Express launched flights to Phuket in January 2025, and Cathay Pacific will start services to Hong Kong in March. Ethiopian Airlines will begin operations to Addis Ababa from June, while KLM will connect Hyderabad to Amsterdam September onwards. Additionally, Riyadh Air is set to introduce flights to Riyadh in the next few months.

Discussions with several Indian and international carriers are at an advanced stage to launch  operations to new destinations from Hyderabad, including Paris, Australia, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Krabi, Kathmandu, and Medina, over the next 12 to 18 months.

We are also collaborating with other international airlines to explore other new routes and will share updates as things progress. There is significant interest in connecting Hyderabad to destinations such as Indonesia, the Philippines, and central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

Q. There is a lot of talk about developing international air traffic hubs in India, for example, in Delhi and Mumbai. Are you too in discussions with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the same?

Hyderabad airport’s strategic location in south-central India positions it as an ideal aviation hub, offering seamless connectivity between southeast Asia, the far east, and destinations in the middle east, Africa, Europe, and the United States. The airport has significantly boosted its transfer traffic, reflecting its growing prominence as a key transit point for global travel.

Notably, transfer passenger traffic has increased from 9 percent in 2015 to 27 percent in 2023, showcasing a notable shift towards the hub-and-spoke model.

Per a study conducted by the MoCA, Hyderabad is one of the airports to be developed into a hub airport in the coming years.

Q. Given that Hyderabad is a single terminal airport at the moment, is it looking to create a separate terminal to handle international traffic, considering its ambitious global goals?

HIAL is currently a single terminal airport that can handle up to 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA).  It plans to leverage technology to explore ways to increase this capacity. Based on the growing demand, the airport is undertaking various studies and plans to construct a second terminal and an additional runway in the future.

This expansion aims to accommodate the growing number of passengers, international and domestic, and enhance HIAL's status as a global connectivity hub.

Q. What are some of the significant steps the airport is taking to tap into growing domestic demand?

Hyderabad is strategically located and enables domestic travel to any part of the country within two hours of  flying time,  and access to southeast Asia, eastern Europe, and the middle east in just four to six hours. This geographical advantage  positions Hyderabad as a critical link for east-west and north-south routes.

Capitalising on this, we have undertaken significant infrastructure enhancements, boosting the airport's passenger handling capacity from 12 to 40 MPPA.

Additionally, the proximity of the GMR MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facility underscores Hyderabad’s commitment to supporting the aviation industry, further strengthening its role in the sector’s growth.

Q. In September, the airport launched a terminal tailored exclusively for private jet owners and users. Can you share how this has contributed to your topline? What percent of your revenues come from this segment?

This terminal's domestic  operations commenced on August 31, 2024, and international operations on November 5, 2024. It has introduced a bespoke travel experience for high net-worth Individuals (HNIs), offering convenience and luxury. As the business has been operational for less than six months, it is still too early to assess its revenue impact or contribution to the topline. However, this offering has already enriched our service portfolio, delivering a premium experience through charter flight services tailored to meet the expectations of elite travellers.