India's domestic air traffic grows in double digit for 50th month

India's domestic air passenger traffic grew in double digit for the 50th consecutive month in October, a global airline association said on Thursday.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that India's domestic air passenger volume, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), was the highest amongst major aviation markets like Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, Russia and the US.

"India posted its 50th consecutive month of double-digit growth (15 per cent). While this was a slowdown from 19.6 per cent in September, the strong upward trend in traffic remains in place," IATA said in its air passenger market analysis for October 2018.

"This is being supported by structural changes, including ongoing rises in living standards, as well as large increases in the number of airport connections within the country. The latter translates into time savings and has a similar stimulatory impact on demand as reductions in fares."

India's domestic RPK in the month under review rose 15 per cent compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

India's domestic passenger traffic growth was followed by that of China at 12.2 per cent and Russia at 11.7 per cent.

In terms of capacity, India's domestic available seat kilometres (ASK) -- which measures available passenger capacity -- stood higher by 17.4 per cent in October, than that of China's 11.1 per cent and Russia's 8.8 per cent

--IANS

rv/mr