Indian aviation sets record H1FY24 traffic; IndiGo, Tata Group thrive

Although June 2024 saw a decline in domestic passenger traffic in India compared to May 2024, it was the best June on record with 13.6 million passengers compared to 12.4 million in June 2023

Indian aviation experienced its highest half-year traffic on record this year, with 79.3 million passengers from January to June, compared to 76 million passengers during the same period last year, according to data by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

In 2023, domestic aviation in India achieved its best performance ever, exceeding pre-Covid-19 numbers by 5.77 per cent. The current figures are 12.3 per cent higher than those of 2019, the last full year before the Covid-19 pandemic.

India is among the few countries that quickly rebounded and surpassed pre-pandemic numbers last year, with this year continuing to reinforce its growth trajectory despite ongoing challenges, the report showed.

Although June saw a decline in passengers compared to May, it was the best June on record for domestic air traffic in India, with 13.6 million passengers compared to 12.4 million in June 2023. The collapse of Go First in May last year resulted in a slight reduction in market capacity.

IndiGo, one of India’s two listed airlines, reported record profits for the last financial year. However, the country’s aviation growth is being hampered by a significant shortage of planes. IndiGo operates a fleet of over 350 aircraft, but 70 to 80 of these are currently grounded due to engine issues, the report showed.

Aircraft shortage drives up fares

SpiceJet is struggling with unresolved issues with its lessors and lacks the funds to repair and deploy its aircraft. Akasa Air hasn’t added any new planes since February. Consequently, the number of operational aircraft in India is far below the 800 registered with commercial airlines.

This aircraft shortage has driven up fares, with many passengers complaining about paying double or more compared to pre-Covid-19 prices. Although departures have increased by only 2.5 per cent, which is less than the rise in passenger traffic, capacity measured by Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) has grown by 3.7 per cent. This suggests that load factors are firming up, with higher load factors resulting from increased fares, the report stated.

IndiGo and Tata group airlines lead market growth

IndiGo and the Tata group of airlines are currently benefiting the most from the market’s growth. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Air India (then government-owned), AirAsia India (now AIX Connect), and Vistara held a combined market share of 24.1 per cent. Today, the four Tata group airlines collectively have a market share of 28.7 per cent. The report stated that IndiGo’s market share stood at 47.1 per cent at the end of 2019, peaked above 60 per cent, and has since stabilised around this figure, despite challenges with engine availability and grounding issues.

SpiceJet struggles with market share decline

SpiceJet experienced the most significant decline, mainly due to internal factors rather than market conditions. Its market share dropped below 4 per cent in June and ending the second quarter of 2024 at just 4.2 per cent.

As of May, Akasa Air, Air India, and IndiGo were the top three airlines in terms of slot compliance, using almost all the slots allocated in the summer schedule. In contrast, Air India Express and SpiceJet were the poorest performers in slot usage as of May 2024.