Domestic air traffic fell 29% in April over second Covid-19 wave: Icra

Rating agency Icra estimates 29 per cent sequential decline in domestic air traffic in April as the second wave of Covid-19 disrupted air travel.

In April domestic airlines flew 5.5-5.6 million passengers compared to 7.8 million passengers in March, Icra said on Wednesday.

While entry restrictions and mandatory RT-PCR testing imposed by states led to drop in passenger loads, the second wave of Covid-19 has hit the demand further.

On May 3 the daily passenger traffic fell below 100,000 for the first time since last September.

"The number of flights declined from February 2021 onwards with average daily departures close to around 2,000 in April down from 2300 in March and February. The average number of passengers per flight in April 2021 was 93 against an average of 109 passengers in March," said Kinjal Shah, vice president and co-group head of Icra.

While passenger demand has declined sharply, fuel prices have risen and this has added to airlines' financial stress. "Aviation turbine prices in April and May were 59.8 per cent and 103.4 per cent higher on a year on year basis," Icra said.