DOMESTIC AIR TRAFFIC TOUCHES NEW SINGLE-DAY HIGH BY FERRYING 4.71 LAKH PASSENGERS, SURPASSES PRE-COVID RECORD

As per the official data, the domestic air traffic soared to a new single-day peak of 4,71,751 passengers on Sunday. This number surpassed the pre-Covid average count of 3,98,579 by over 14 per cent. On April 21, the civil aviation ministry reported 4,71,751 domestic air passengers availed of the air travel service and 6,128 flights operated. This is higher than the domestic air traffic of 4,28,389 passengers and 5,899 flights recorded on April 21, 2023. In a post on X, the ministry said India's domestic aviation is "every day at a new high".

"Domestic aviation in India is witnessing unprecedented growth, driven by factors such as concrete policies, economic development, and expansion of low-cost carriers. As more people gain access to air travel, the sector is expected to continue its upward trajectory," it said.

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The aviation regulator DGCA reported that domestic airlines ferried over 391.46 lakhs passengers during January-March 2024, compared to 375.04 lakhs in the same period of the previous year, marking a yearly growth of 4.38 per cent and a monthly growth of 3.68 per cent.

The aviation sector in India has been reeling under several setbacks including loss of revenue and shortage of pilots. About 400-500 commercial pilots graduate every year from various flight training schools in India, whereas the country would require about 1,000-1,100 pilots per year to meet the rising demand for air travel, new aircraft joining the fleet and newer routes getting added.  

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Vistara Airlines, which is in the middle of a row over delays and cancellations of its flights, recently announced it was going to scale back its operations by around 25-30 flights per day to ease pressure on pilots and crew members. Over the last few days, the airline faced massive public ire for disruptions due to non-availability of pilots. The announcement came after the Vistara CEO announced over 98 per cent of its pilots signed new contracts with revised salaries, which caused unprecedented disruptions.