Mystery Of India's 'Best' Airport: How Khajuraho Topped The Rankings Without A Single Flight

Khajuraho Airport has emerged as India's highest-rated airport for customer satisfaction, despite currently having no scheduled commercial flights. The Madhya Pradesh airport topped the latest Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) released by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

Scheduled commercial flights halted on July 1. The airport will remain completely without services throughout August, The Times of India reported.

The facility previously handled just two flights before operations ceased. These routes linked the UNESCO World Heritage town with Delhi and Varanasi. Air services are expected to resume in October.

Measuring Passenger Experience

The rating system evaluates service quality. Independent agencies conduct the survey twice a year on behalf of the AAI.

Travellers rate facilities across 33 service parameters. These include terminal upkeep, cleanliness, parking, signage, security, baggage handling, seating, food, Wi-Fi, staff behaviour and accessibility. Notably, responses are merged with evaluations of washroom hygiene, overall ambience and customer service to generate a final score out of five.

The Customer Satisfaction Index assesses airports on passenger experience rather than the scale of their operations. As a result, smaller airports can rank higher than some of India's busiest aviation hubs. Khajuraho's terminal building dates back to the late 1960s, while its first commercial flight commenced in 1978.

Why Smaller Airports Win

Large facilities face intense pressure. High passenger volumes naturally result in terminal congestion, baggage delays, parking congestion and overcrowded terminals, which can affect customer satisfaction despite major investments in infrastructure.

Khajuraho maintains cleaner facilities, shorter wait times and more personalised service because of its extremely low footfall. The airport served only a handful of passengers before operations paused.

In contrast, major hubs handle enormous crowds. Indian airports processed over 400 million passengers overall, including international traffic, with domestic airlines carrying nearly 166 million in 2024, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated.

Delhi Airport alone managed more than 77 million travellers in FY25, making it one of Asia’s busiest airports.

The Air Connectivity Paradox

The ranking exposes a contradiction. The report stated that Khajuraho’s biggest challenge is not the quality of its facilities but the lack of scheduled air services.

Khajuraho remains a prominent tourist destination because of its UNESCO-listed temple complex. Yet, airlines prefer highly profitable routes. This dynamic leaves the town struggling to maintain basic air connectivity.

Meanwhile, the situation is not unique to Khajuraho. Across India, changing airline economics, shifting passenger demand and limited aircraft availability have made it challenging for several smaller airports to sustain regular commercial flight services.