Khajuraho airport, which serves Madhya Pradesh’s UNESCO World Heritage temple town, has been ranked highest in the Airports Authority of India’s (AAI) Customer Satisfaction Index, despite not handling a single commercial flight for weeks. According to a report by The Times of India, the airport recorded zero commercial flight operations throughout July and August.
The unusual outcome has reignited debate over whether passenger satisfaction scores alone are an adequate measure of airport performance, especially for facilities with little to no commercial traffic. Critics argue that such rankings may not fully reflect an airport’s operational relevance if flight activity is minimal or absent.
As per AAI’s biannual Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) survey, Khajuraho secured the top score among airports in its category. Notably, the index is based entirely on passenger feedback covering aspects such as cleanliness, terminal ambience, staff behaviour, ease of movement and security checks, rather than on traffic volumes or route connectivity.
Even during its busiest period, Khajuraho airport operated flights on only two routes—connecting Delhi and Varanasi. However, even these limited services have now been suspended. Airport Director Santosh Singh told The Times of India that flights on both routes are expected to resume in October this year.
The CSI itself is a biannual passenger survey conducted on behalf of AAI by independent agencies, evaluating airports across 33 service parameters including cleanliness, security procedures, baggage handling and signage, among other factors. Since the survey measures experience rather than operational output, an airport with minimal or no flights can still score highly if the few passengers who do pass through report high satisfaction levels.
The case has highlighted a broader question for aviation regulators: whether service-quality indices should be paired with operational metrics such as flight frequency, passenger footfall and route connectivity, to provide a more complete picture of an airport’s overall performance and relevance.