Business

In February, domestic air traffic increased by 4.8%, reaching 126.48 lakh passengers, according to recent data

In February, domestic air traffic saw a 4.8 percent increase on an annual basis, reaching 126.48 lakh passengers, as per official data released on Friday. Concurrently, more than 1.55 lakh passengers experienced flight delays during this period.

Air India’s market share rose to 12.8 percent from 12.2 percent, while IndiGo’s share slightly decreased to 60.1 percent from 60.2 percent in January.

Compared to 120.69 lakh in the same period last year, domestic air traffic in February climbed to 126.48 lakh, according to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, it was lower than the 1.31 crore reported in January.

From January to February 2024, domestic airlines transported 257.78 lakh passengers, marking a 4.74 percent year-on-year growth and a 4.80 percent monthly increase, as stated by the DGCA.

Flight delays in February affected 1,55,387 passengers, leading to facilitation costs of ₹222.11 lakh by scheduled carriers. Additionally, 29,143 passengers were impacted by cancellations, with airlines spending ₹99.96 lakh on compensation and facilities.

Last month, 917 passengers faced denied boarding issues, prompting airlines to spend ₹78.19 lakh on compensation and facilities. Domestic airlines received a total of 791 passenger-related complaints in February, with flight problems (37.8 percent), baggage (19 percent), refunds (16.3 percent), and customer service (11.1 percent) being the major concerns.

SpiceJet’s domestic market share dropped to 5.2 percent from 5.6 percent, while Vistara and Akasa Air maintained their shares at 9.9 percent and 4.5 percent, respectively. AIX Connect held a market share of 6.1 percent, unchanged from the previous month, and Alliance Air retained a share of 1 percent.

In terms of On-Time Performance (OTP), Air India recorded 56.4 percent, while SpiceJet achieved 59.1 percent in February. Vistara, IndiGo, and Akasa Air had OTP rates of 67.4 percent, 72.7 percent, and 72.9 percent, respectively. AIX Connect’s OTP reached 73.5 percent.

The overall cancellation rate for scheduled domestic airlines in February 2024 was 0.90 percent. Zoom had the highest cancellation rate at 7.69 percent, while Akasa Air had the lowest at 0.30 percent. Other airlines’ cancellation rates ranged from 0.58 percent to 7.41 percent.

Related Articles

Back to top button