The domestic air traffic passenger in the country has increased by 2.9% in May, according to the latest report released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The aviation regulator attributes the growth to the ongoing tourist season.
All domestic airlines together flew 1.22 crores passenger in May. Among the airlines, IndiGo flew 59.80 lakhs of passengers, followed by SpiceJet that flew 18.03 lakhs of people. Air India took 16.53 lakhs of passengers and GoAir flew 13.55 lakhs of people. Air Asia and Vistara are the last two on the list, with 7.68 lakhs and 5.79 lakhs respectively.
The highest passenger load factor was reported for SpiceJet at 93.9%, followed by GoAir at 93.3%. IndiGo witnessed a passenger load of 90.9%. GoAir maintained its title in on-time performance at 91.8%, followed by Air Asia at 89.1%.
For the 50th month in a row, SpiceJet has flown with the highest loads in India. In May, our PLF stood at 93.9%. This is a feat unparalleled in the global aviation industry and a huge milestone for SpiceJet. This record firmly establishes SpiceJet’s standing as country’s most preferred airline, said Shilpa Bhatia, Chief Sales and Revenue Officer of SpiceJet.
Induction of new aircraft and discounts offered by the airlines marginally lifted the passenger traffic. We expect higher growth in the coming months as more seat capacity comes in and airlines are also likely to announce further sales as we move into the off-peak period, commented Sharat Dhall, Chief Operating Officer (B2C), Yatra.com to The Hindu Business Line.
April was a turbulent month for the Indian aviation industry with the domestic air passenger traffic dropped by 4.5% over the same period last year. Grounding of Jet Airways was cited as a primary reason for the drop in April. The industry seems to be recovering from the absence of Jet Airways.
Meanwhile, IndiGo maintained its market share at 49% in May. SpiceJet shows a slight increase in the market share – from 13.1% in April to 14.8% in May. The market share of Air India, GoAir, AirAsia and Vistara were 13.5%, 11.1%, 6.3% and 4.7%, respectively, in May this year.
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