India’s aviation sector continues to show a stable outlook, supported by a steady rise in air passenger traffic. Official data reveals that domestic air passenger traffic recorded a robust double-digit growth of 11.04 per cent in February this year compared to the same month last year.
According to an ICRA report, domestic air traffic for the first 11 months of the current financial year stood at approximately 1,551 lakh passengers. This marks a 7.7 per cent increase over the same period last year and a 12.9 per cent rise compared to the pre-Covid level of 1,338 lakh passengers recorded in the same period of FY20.
International passenger traffic has also seen significant growth. In the first 10 months of the financial year (April-January), Indian carriers transported around 280.9 lakh international passengers, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 14.8 per cent. This figure is 41.3 per cent higher than the pre-Covid level of approximately 198.8 lakh passengers.
The ICRA report notes that the Indian aviation industry’s outlook remains stable, supported by expectations of moderate growth in domestic air passenger traffic and a relatively stable cost environment in FY25 and FY26.
Data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) shows that India’s scheduled domestic airlines ferried around 1.40 crore passengers in February 2025, up from 1.26 crore in the same month of the previous year.
DGCA’s monthly passenger traffic report highlights IndiGo as the country’s leading airline, commanding a 63.7 per cent market share. The low-cost carrier transported 89.40 lakh passengers in February 2025.
IndiGo was followed by the Air India Group, including Air India Express, which carried 38.30 lakh passengers, giving the Tata Group airline a 27.3 per cent market share.
Among newer entrants, Akasa Air carried 6.59 lakh passengers, securing a 4.7 per cent share of the market. SpiceJet, led by Ajay Singh, flew 4.54 lakh passengers, translating to a 3.2 per cent market share.
Smaller carriers also made their mark. Alliance Air transported 0.86 lakh passengers, accounting for 0.6 per cent of the market, while Star Air flew 0.60 lakh passengers, capturing a 0.4 per cent share.
ICRA has maintained a ‘stable’ outlook for the aviation industry, citing improved pricing power and moderate traffic growth projections. Domestic air traffic is projected to grow at 7-10 per cent in FY2025 and FY2026, while international passenger traffic for Indian carriers is anticipated to expand by 15-20 per cent.
Adding to the momentum, IndiGo Airlines has emerged as the world’s second fastest-growing airline in terms of seat capacity, which increased by 10.1 per cent year-on-year to over 134.9 million seats in 2024. It is ranked just behind Qatar Airways, which recorded a 10.4 per cent increase, according to data from the Official Airline Guide (OAG).
IndiGo has also been recognised as the fastest-growing airline globally in terms of flight frequency growth, clocking a 9.7 per cent year-on-year increase in 2024. The airline recorded 7,49,156 flights during the year, OAG data shows.
Additionally, IndiGo holds one of the world’s largest aircraft orders, with over 900 aircraft on order. It was the largest recipient of new aircraft in 2024, receiving 58 Airbus planes. However, the report also notes that a sizeable portion of its fleet, approximately 80 aircraft, remains inactive due to MRO-related supply chain challenges.
-IANS
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