In the four years to March 2010, "it is estimated that Indian carriers will have accumulated operational losses in excess of Rs 26,000 crore," CAPA said in its recent report 'Indian Aviation: A Review of 2009 and Outlook for 2010'.
The agency also said the low-cost airlines, an operating model which did not exist in the domestic market until six years ago, could account for almost 70 per cent of domestic capacity within the next two-three quarters.
"This is due to the decision taken by carriers such as Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines to reconfigure the majority of their domestic aircraft to operate no-frills service. Air India is also planning to follow suit," it said.
The report also said there has been a clear recognition that there is a limited market for full-service air travel, particularly the business class, beyond the key metro routes. "The full-service airlines may in future be restricted to just a handful of services, or may even disappear entirely", the CAPA report said.
About five years back, as much as 80 per cent of the air travel in the country was for business purposes, whereas that figure is less than half today, according to the report.
The domestic carriers have been suffering losses since the past year on account of the global slowdown, high fuel prices and over capacity in the domestic skies.
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