Winning Bizness Desk

Mumbai. The trend of increase in the number of domestic air passengers continues. With the outbreak of the Covid pandemic subsiding, the number of passengers on domestic flights in April is estimated to be 10.5 million, with an increase of 83 percent on an annual basis. This is only 5 percent less than the pre-pandemic level. Rating agency Icra (ICRA) gave this information on Monday.

Crossing pre-pandemic level

In April 2019, 11 million passengers traveled by Indian Airlines. Icra said that the number of international passengers of domestic airlines has crossed the pre-pandemic level of about 1.83 crores to 1.85 crores. The rating agency said that due to geopolitical issues arising out of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, rising prices of aircraft fuel (ATF) is a major threat to the revival process.

Revival in passenger traffic is expected

Icra Vice President and Sector Head Supriyo Banerjee said that in April 2022, an average of 2,726 flights departed daily, which is more than the figure of 2,000 in the same month last year. This is more than 2,588 figures for March 2022. He said the revival in passenger traffic is expected to be relatively faster in the current financial year in view of the almost normalcy in domestic airline operations.

Domestic air passengers grew 59% to 8.40 crore in FY22

It is worth noting that according to the estimates of rating agency Icra, in the financial year 2021-22, the number of air passengers is estimated to increase by 59 percent to 8.40 million on an annual basis. However, the number of air passengers on domestic flights is still about 40 percent less than the pre-Covid level.