7.8 mn domestic air passengers in Feb, 36.71% lower than last year: DGCA

The pandemic has heavily weighed on the aviation sector

Around 78.27 lakh (7.8 million) domestic passengers travelled by air in February 2021 which is 36.71 per cent lower than the corresponding period last year, Indian aviation regulator DGCA said on Wednesday.

As per the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 77.34 lakh people travelled by air within the country in January.

While IndiGo carried 42.38 lakh passengers in February, a 54.2 per cent share of the total domestic market, SpiceJet flew 9.62 lakh passengers which is 12.3 per cent share of the market, according to data shared by the DGCA.

Air India, GoAir, Vistara and AirAsia India carried 9.16 lakh, 5.81 lakh, 5.4 lakh and5.21 lakh passengers respectively in February, it showed.

The occupancy rate or load factor of the six major Indian airlines was between 67.9 per cent and 78.9 per cent in February, it stated.

"The passenger load factor in the month of Feb 2021 has shown increasing trend compared to previous month primarily due to beginning of tourist season," the DGCA said.

The occupancy rate at SpiceJet was 78.9 per cent in February, the regulator noted.

Meanwhile, the occupancy rates for IndiGo, Vistara, GoAir, Air India and AirAsia India were 74.4 per cent, 73.7 per cent, 76.5 per cent, 78.3 per cent and 67.9 per cent respectively, according to the DGCA.

India resumed domestic passenger flights on May 25 last year after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Indian airlines are allowed to operate a maximum of 80 per cent of their pre-COVID-19 domestic flights.

The DGCA data mentioned that in February, IndiGo had the best on-time performance of 94 per cent at four metro airports -- Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

AirAsia India and Vistara were at number two and three positions at these four airports in February with 85.2 per cent and 82.9 per cent on-time performance respectively, the regulator said.

The aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

All airlines in India have taken cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, leaves without pay and lay offs in order to tide over the crisis.