Chhatarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Khajuraho Airport in Madhya Pradesh has been ranked the best airport in the country in the 2026 National Service and Customer Satisfaction Index survey conducted by the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
However, despite receiving the top ranking, the airport has not had a single regular commercial flight operating for the past two months.
The survey ranked Khajuraho Airport first based on passenger facilities, cleanliness, security and service quality. Bhopal’s Raja Bhoj Airport secured the third position in the national ranking.
Earlier, in December 2025, Khajuraho Airport had also topped the AAI customer satisfaction survey.
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Achievement raises questions among citizens
However, the achievement has raised questions among local residents as commercial flight services from the airport have remained suspended during July and August due to ongoing runway and other technical works.
Khajuraho Airport Director Santosh Singh said the ranking reflected the hard work of the entire airport staff and the trust of passengers.
He said the airport performed well on several parameters, including cleanliness, safety, passenger amenities and overall service standards.
Local residents, however, pointed out the contradiction between the airport’s ranking and the lack of flight connectivity.
Hotel operator and Khajuraho resident Rajiv Shukla said securing the No. 1 position for the second consecutive time was a matter of pride, but it was disappointing that no passenger aircraft had arrived at the airport for the last two months.
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He said good air connectivity was important for tourism and local businesses, especially as Khajuraho is a world heritage site and a major tourist destination.
He urged public representatives and authorities to take steps to restore regular flights soon.
Clarifying the situation, Santosh Singh said the customer satisfaction survey was conducted when regular flight operations were active at the airport.
He added that flights are currently suspended due to construction and technical work at the airport.
He said commercial flight services will resume after the completion of the ongoing work and the airport management remains committed to providing world-class facilities to passengers in the future.
(FP News Service)
