All airlines post above 90% load factor for 2nd straight month: Govt data

Go First's suspension of flights from May 3 turns boon for other Indian carriers

All domestic airlines in India have recorded more than 90 per cent load factor (occupancy rate) for the second consecutive month in June, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation's data that has been reviewed by Business Standard.

The airlines are encashing the passenger traffic that they have received after Go First decided to suspend all flights from May 3.

The average daily domestic services that were operated by carriers have reduced by 5.77 per cent to 2,799 flights between March and June. However, the average daily domestic passengers handled by carriers have reduced by just 0.43 per cent to 417,369 in the same time period, indicating strong passenger demand.

In fact, the average daily international traffic has risen by 5.3 per cent to 183,041 in the same time frame, the ministry's data showed.

Akasa Air recorded the highest load factor among all airlines at 92.23 per cent in  June, as per the data. AirAsia India was at number two with 91.79 per cent load factor. Air India and Vistara recorded load factors of 91.7 per cent and 91.45 per cent load factors, respectively, in June.

The high demand had last month boosted airfares to such a level that Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia called a meeting with airlines, wherein he asked them to self-monitor ticket prices, especially in upper fare bands.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday said that it will audit Go First between July 4-6 to check its preparedness to resume flights. The airline's resolution professional (RP) Shailendra Ajmera had on June 28 shown a flight resumption plan to the DGCA.

In its resumption plan, the RP had said the airline can operate about 160 flights per day using the 26 active aircraft in its fleet. Go First's committee of creditors (CoC) had on June 25 agreed in-principle to support the carrier's request for Rs 400 crore interim funding to restart the operations.