Over 5 million domestic air passengers in July, 61% higher than June: DGCA

While IndiGo carried 2.9 million passengers in July, a 58.6 per cent share of the domestic market, SpiceJet flew 456,000 passengers

Around 50.07 lakh domestic passengers travelled by air in July, 61 per cent higher than the 31.13 lakh who travelled in June, the country's aviation regulator said on Friday.

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), 21.15 lakh people and 57.25 lakh had travelled within the country by air in May and April, respectively.

The sudden drop in domestic air traffic in May was due to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic that had badly hit the country and its aviation sector.

While IndiGo carried 29.32 lakh passengers in July, a 58.6 per cent share of the domestic market, SpiceJet flew 4.56 lakh passengers, accounting for a 9.1 per cent share of the market, according to the data shared by the DGCA.

Air India, Go First (previously known as GoAir), Vistara and AirAsia India carried 6.7 lakh, 3.42 lakh, 4.07 lakh and 1.65 lakh passengers, respectively, in July, the data showed.

The occupancy rate or the load factor of the six major Indian airlines was between 53.6 per cent and 74.6 per cent in July, it stated.

The occupancy rate for SpiceJet was 74.6 per cent in July, the DGCA noted. The occupancy rates for IndiGo, Vistara, Go First, Air India and AirAsia India were 66.2 per cent, 69.2 per cent, 67.1 per cent, 64.3 per cent and 53.6 per cent, respectively, it added.

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

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

Indian airlines are allowed to operate a maximum of 72.5 per cent of their pre-pandemic domestic flights.

The DGCA data mentioned that in July 2021, IndiGo had the best on-time performance of 97.3 per cent at four metro airports -- Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

AirAsia India and Vistara were at the second and third positions at these four airports in July with 96.8 per cent and 95.1 per cent on-time performance respectively, the DGCA said.

All airlines in India have opted for cost-reducing measures such as pay cuts, leave without pay and layoffs in order to tide over the coronavirus-induced crisis.