Domestic air passenger traffic in India maintained its upward momentum in January, reaching an estimated 150.3 lakh passengers, according to a report by ICRA.
This marks a 0.7% increase compared to December 2024 and a 14.5% jump from January 2024. Notably, January’s passenger traffic also surpassed pre-Covid levels from January 2020 by 17.9%.
For the first 10 months of FY25 (April 2024 to January 2025), domestic air passenger traffic totaled 1,372.1 lakh, reflecting a 7.5% year-on-year increase and a 13% rise compared to the same period in FY20.
International air passenger traffic for Indian carriers also recorded strong growth. During the first nine months of FY25, international traffic reached 248.9 lakh passengers, marking a 14.5% year-on-year increase and a 41.7% rise compared to pre-Covid levels.
The report highlighted that airlines expanded their capacity deployment by 10.8% in January 2025 compared to January 2024. However, capacity was slightly lower by 1.2% compared to December 2024.
The domestic aviation sector achieved a passenger load factor (PLF) of approximately 92.1% in January 2025, up from 89.2% in January 2024 and 85% in January 2020.
Fuel costs, which constitute a significant portion of airline operating expenses, witnessed some relief during the fiscal year. While aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices were 5.3% higher year-on-year from April to July 2024, they dropped by 14.7% from August 2024 to February 2025. Overall, ATF prices were 8.1% lower during April 2024 to February 2025 compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year, the report said.
-IANS
