Domestic air traffic soars 7.3% to 1.3cr passengers in July
India's domestic air travel sector witnessed a significant surge in July, with over 1.29 crore passengers taking to the skies. This represents a rise of more than 7.3% compared to the same period last year, according to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, despite this annual growth, July's figures fell short of June's record when domestic airlines transported over 1.32 crore individuals.
IndiGo leads market share, Air India experiences decline
In the competitive landscape of domestic air travel, IndiGo maintained its leading position with a market share that rose to 62% in July. In contrast, Air India saw a decrease in its stake, which dropped to 14.3%. Other airlines such as Vistara experienced an increase in their market share last month, reaching 10%, while AIX Connect and SpiceJet faced declines to 4.5% and 3.1%, respectively.
DGCA reports on passenger complaints and compensation
The DGCA's report also highlighted that 1,114 passengers were denied boarding in July, leading airlines to pay out ₹1.12 crore in compensation and facilities. Additionally, flight cancellations affected as many as 154,770 passengers, costing carriers ₹1.1 crore in compensatory measures. Flight delays impacted over three lakh passengers last month alone, with airlines shelling out ₹3.41 crore toward facilitation services for these inconveniences.
Akasa Air and Alliance Air's market share dips
Akasa Air and Alliance Air also experienced a dip in their market shares last month, falling to 4.7% and 0.9%, respectively. The DGCA reported that from January to July this year, domestic airlines carried over 9.23 crore passengers, marking an annual growth of 4.70% and a monthly increase of 7.33%. This data underscores the dynamic nature of India's domestic air travel sector amid varying market shares among carriers.
