Indian air traffic sees strong growth

Indian airlines saw a strong rise in domestic passenger traffic in July 2014.

According to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the nation’s airlines carried 6.0% more passengers last month than they did in July 2013. This result marks a rapid acceleration from the year-to-date growth rate of 2.0% experienced in the first six months of 2014.

But it appears that Indian airlines are still suffering from capacity issues. Last month 8.3% more seats were added to India’s domestic market, exceeding the rise in passenger traffic.

That caused average cabin load factors to fall, and meant that Indian domestic aircraft flew with an average of 30.6% of their seats unoccupied in July. This is far worse than other major domestic aviation markets, such as China, the US, Brazil and Russia, where on average 15-20% domestic seats are empty.

But the signs of recovery are good for Indian airlines. Traffic growth has been gradually accelerating in 2014, and with the new government planning to develop multiple new airports, there will be more opportunities for passengers to travel.

sourced:traveldailymedia.com