With air travel witnessing a sharp decline, cab drivers and operators in the city are feeling its ripple effects, particularly those who primarily serve airport-bound passengers and tourists.
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Passenger transport and cab industry in Bengaluru has taken a hit following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and the subsequent Operation Sindoor, which has led to the temporary closure of 32 Indian airports until May 15. With air travel witnessing a sharp decline, cab drivers and operators in the city are feeling its ripple effects, particularly those who primarily serve airport-bound passengers and tourists.

With both countries reaching an agreement to stop military operations on Saturday evening, the industry was hopeful of airports opening up again, but ceasefire violations by Pakistan on Saturday night has left the industry anxious.

Speaking to The Hindu, Karnataka State Travel Operators’ Association (KSTOA) president K. Radhakrishna Holla said the situation is now reminiscent of the COVID-19 lockdown days. “Earlier, we were getting many passengers from the airport. Now, with most of the North Indian airports shut, passenger movement has dropped significantly, though the Bengaluru airport is operating normally. The demand for cabs, especially premium services, has come down drastically. Currently, we are mostly getting bookings from office employees and a few corporate clients. Tourist bookings are barely coming in these days,” he said.

Mr. Holla added that while the security situation necessitates these measures, a prolonged disruption could have devastating economic consequences for the sector.

“It is fine that the business is dull now since it is a matter of national security. But if this continues for long, it will affect the transport business on a large scale. Adding to this is the diplomatic fallout after Pakistan receiving vocal support from Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Many Indian tour operators have cancelled packages to these countries. This will indirectly affect us as well, since airport traffic for international departures is likely to remain low. It’s similar to the situation when tourists from India began cancelling trips to the Maldives after derogatory remarks were made by Maldivian Ministers about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep in early 2024,” he said.

Airport cab drivers, many of whom rely solely on steady flight operations for their daily earnings, are particularly hard-hit. Prakash R., a cab driver who has worked the airport route for the past six years, said: “I used to get at least four trips a day from the airport. Now, I get one. Sometimes I wait at the airport for six to eight hours, and return empty. The flight arrivals are very low, and most passengers now prefer to stay home or cancel their travel altogether. Our earnings have dropped by more than half.”

Another driver, Mahadevappa K.N., who runs a premium SUV cab, said the luxury segment has been the worst affected. “Business travellers and high-end tourists were our main customers. Now, there’s nothing. Some drivers have switched to daily rentals for corporate employees, but that doesn’t fetch the same income. We’re still paying EMI for our vehicles, and fuel prices haven’t come down. If this situation goes on beyond May 15,it will be difficult.”