India’s aviation sector has also seen a surge in domestic travel. | Representative photo
The number of passengers flying directly between India and the rest of the world has hit a new record, according to British airline consultancy OAG.
In 2023, India recorded about 65 million international air travellers, just 600,000 fewer than in 2019 (before the pandemic). Of these, about 37 million passengers flew non-stop, an increase of 2 million compared to 2019, revealed the OAG analysis cited in a report by The Times of India.
Meanwhile, the number of travellers opting for indirect routes fell by 2.5 million, bringing the total to 27 million. As a result, the share of passengers flying directly increased from 54% in 2019 to 57% in 2023.
Direct flights gain popularity
The significant growth of international flights offered by IndiGo and Tata’s Air India group, along with the addition of new entrants such as Akasa and other foreign airlines, has transformed air traffic patterns. More and more passengers are opting for non-stop flights instead of journeys that involve one or two stops at hub airports, according to the OAG report.
Indian airports are also becoming increasingly important as transfer hubs, with one million passengers using them to connect to other destinations. For example, travellers can fly from Kathmandu to New York via Delhi. And with countries such as Vietnam and Indonesia now offering direct flights to India, one-stop journeys are becoming less necessary, unless travellers prefer that option.
Gulf centers lose ground
The OAG report shows a notable decline in traffic through the Gulf countries, which lost around 1 million indirect passengers between 2019 and 2023. Other hubs experienced a combined loss of 2.8 million indirect passengers, while Indian hubs gained 1 million during this period.
In the last four years, Indian airlines have launched 52 new international routes, further boosting the country’s global connectivity.
Crisil Ratings data revealed that Indian airlines accounted for approximately 43 per cent of international passenger traffic originating, transiting or destined for India in 2023-24. This marks a significant increase from the pre-pandemic share of less than 35 per cent, reflecting the growing demand for international travel among Indian citizens.
Record domestic passenger traffic
India’s aviation sector has also seen a surge in domestic travel. From January to June 2024, Indian airlines carried 79.35 million passengers, up 4% compared to the same period last year, according to DGCA data.
This represents the highest domestic passenger traffic in a semester, surpassing the previous record of 76.09 million passengers in 2023. The growth has been remarkable, with the number of domestic passengers more than doubling over the past decade, from 38.83 million in 2015 to current figures.
First published: September 16, 2024 | 9:53 am IS
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