Jan-March domestic air passenger traffic jumps 6.1% YoY, Indigo retains largest market share

Representative Image: Reuters

Domestic air passenger traffic in the January-March period surged to 248 lakh, marking a 6.1 percent growth as compared to the corresponding period last year, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on April 20.

In March alone, the domestic flight operators carried 106.96 lakh passengers, which was 36.7 percent higher as compared to February 2022 when the monthly traffic stood at 78.22 lakh, as per the data shared by the aviation sector watchdog.

"Passengers carried by domestic airlines during Jan-March 2022 were 248.00 lakhs as against 233.83 lakhs during the corresponding period of previous year thereby registering annual growth of 6.06 % and monthly growth of 36.74%," the DGCA report said.

Private carrier Indigo continued to maintain its lead position, with a market share of 54.8 percent during the month of March. The numbers marked a rise as compared to February, when the airline's market share stood at 51.3 percent.

Air India's market share slipped to 8.8 percent in March as against 11.1 percent in February, the report said.

In terms of passenger load factor, Indigo witnessed a decline as its PLF came down to 81 percent in March, as compared to 85.2 percent in the preceding month.

SpiceJet's PLF dropped to 86.1 percent as against 89.1 percent in February. Air India's PLF, however, marginally improved from 84.1 percent in the preceding month to 85 percent in March.

The overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic airlines for the month of March has been 0.30 percent, the DGCA said.

During the same period, a total of 458 passenger related complaints had been received by the domestic airlines, the aviation body said, pointing out that the maximum number of complaints, 183, was registered by Air India.

Also Read | Proposal to bring ATF under GST under consideration, urged states to reduce VAT: Jyotiraditya Scindia

While the ebbing of COVID-19-related restrictions has improved the passenger footfall, the domestic aviation sector is yet to reach the pre-pandemic level.

On April 17, the daily domestic air traffic jumped to 4.1 lakh, which was the highest in the last two years and nearly 95 percent of the pre-COVID level.

The recent spurt in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, however, is feared to delay the aviation sector's full-recovery. The hike in ATF prices has led to an increase in domestic air fares, which in turn will deter passengers from opting for the aerial mode of commutation.

"There is tenuous relationship between capacity and pricing in the airline sector," Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia told CNBC TV18 on April 18, adding that the carriers will have to undertake a "delicate walk" in the days to come.

The proposal to bring ATF under Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is expected to ease the fuel's market price due to lower taxation rate, is "under proposal and will take time", the minister had said.