Travel Food Services CEO says third quarter was the busiest despite December hiccups
He said the October–December period is usually the busiest part of the year and that pattern held this time as well.
“Quarter three is the time when you tend to see that to be the busiest,” Kapur said.
He added that October and November recorded strong travel activity, while December saw some impact due to flight disruptions, including cancellations linked to the Interglobe Aviation (IndiGo).
Kapur said passenger growth in the third quarter is expected to be in the low to mid-single digits year-on-year.
He said November saw around 6% growth in passenger numbers and described it as a record month.
He added that growth could have been higher without the early December flight cancellations.
“Probably it would have been,” he said, referring to the impact of the disruptions.
Early signs for the fourth quarter are also positive, with travel demand in the first week of January remaining steady, he added.
Travel Food Services has started operations at the new Navi Mumbai airport through a joint venture with Adani Airports.
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Kapur said the airport began with around 30 flights a day from December 25 and has now moved to over 40 flights daily. Passenger traffic is currently around 5,500 to 6,000 per day, compared with the airport’s planned capacity of 20 million passengers a year.
For the current financial year, the airport will not contribute much to revenue, he said. However, its role will increase from the fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27), especially in the second half of the year.
“In 2026-27 one would surely see that… being an important airport,” Kapur said.
Kapur said the company has expanded its footprint across multiple airports over the past few months, including Delhi Terminal 2, Cochin, Mumbai Terminal 2 and Navi Mumbai.
As of September, the company operated around 464 travel QSR outlets and 37 lounges. More outlets are planned at Noida airport, Hyderabad and additional terminals in Mumbai.
He said revenue per passenger has been rising faster than inflation due to more outlets, higher spending per outlet and the addition of new brands.
“Revenue per passenger… has been growing ahead of inflation,” he said.
For the full interview, watch the accompanying video
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