Domestic air passenger traffic in India registers a 4.7% increase from January to July 2024
Skyward Swipe: Indian skies buzz with a soaring rise in domestic air travel, boosting tourist adventures across the country!
With passenger traffic registering a jaw-dropping 4.7% growth in the first seven months of 2024 compared to the year prior, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) reveals a whopping 9.23 crore travelers who took wing between January and July! July alone saw a phenomenal 7.33% increase with 1.3 crore jet-setters, making their mark in the year 2024.
Get a sneak peek at the leading aviators in India's blue skies:
- IndiGo: Enjoyed an emphatic 60.8% market dominance, transporting a hefty 5.61 crore passengers over the seven-month span.
- Air India: The Tata Group-owned ride placed as a distant second with over 1.25 crore passengers and a 13.6% share.
- Vistara: Another Tata airline gripped the third spot, whisking away 89 lakh passengers boasting a 9.6% market share.
- AIX Connect and SpiceJet: Competed nose-to-nose, with the former transporting 49.89 lakh passengers and a 5.4% market share, while the latter carried 41.78 lakh travelers, claiming a 4.5% slice of the market. Close on its heels, Akasa Air flew slightly ahead of SpiceJet with 42.38 lakh passengers, snagging a 4.6% market share.
Here's an insider scoop on India's air travel boom:
- According to reports, for the entire financial year 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025), an impressive 165.38 million domestic passengers were carried—a 7.6% increase over the previous financial year and a staggering 16.8% growth compared to pre-COVID levels in FY20.
- April 2025 alone witnessed a skyrocketing 10.2% increase year-on-year, shuttling approximately 14.55 million passengers!
- The available seat capacity swelled by 6.9% in April 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, despite a slight sequential decline from March 2025.
- Almost 174 million passengers roamed the skies of India in 2024, boasting about 4.2% of the global air travel share.
Take a look at market shares held by major Indian airlines by seat capacity in 2024:
- IndiGo preserves its lead with an imposing 53.4% market share.
- Air India, including Air India Express, takes a substantial piece of the pie, controlling 20.7% with Air India snagging 12.1% and Air India Express accounting for 8.6%.
- Vistara, prior to its merger, claimed approximately 6.9% share. After the merger into Air India, its capacity is now under Air India's umbrella.
- SpiceJet and Akasa Air hold roughly equal percentages of the market share, with SpiceJet owning 3.5% and Akasa Air just edging ahead with 3.4%.
Buckle up for India's resilient and ongoing aviation sector recovery, as more and more passengers take to the skies! Despite occasional flight cancellations and passenger complaints, the industry soldiers on, growing by a staggering 5.76% in June 2024 compared to June 2023.
The surge in domestic air travel has paved the way for an increase in lifestyle experiences, enabling more tourists to explore the country's diverse offerings. With the development of sports facilities and events, travelers can efficiently plan multi-destination trips that cater to both sightseeing and sports enthusiasts.
As India's aviation sector continues to boom, the potential for lucrative travel packages and unique tourism experiences linked to sports events could further stimulate growth in domestic air travel, fostering a symbiotic relationship between the lifestyle and travel sectors.
