Data | Despite higher passenger count in November, aviation sector yet to come out of woods

The number of domestic passengers that travelled in India’s airlines increased in November but the number of empty seats continued to be higher than pre-pandemic period

In November, more than travelled in India’s airlines. This was the first time in the last 20 months that the passenger count crossed this mark. Despite the increase, the number of empty seats continued to be higher than it was before the COVID-19 outbreak. Thus, when domestic travel picked up after restrictions were slowly lifted, IndiGo further consolidated its position as the market leader but its continued. As airlines continued to pay the mandatory fees and rents despite a drop in passenger count, their losses mounted. While SpiceJet’s numbers are dwindling, Vistara’s passenger count is fast rising.

The chart depicts the passenger-kilometres (PK) flown by an airline as a % of the total PK on domestic routes. One PK is achieved when one passenger is flown for one kilometre. For instance, in September 2021, IndiGo flew 58% of the overall domestic PK.