Domestic air hits new record with 500k flyers

India crossed the 500,000 mark in domestic air passengers on Sunday, the country’s highest ever single-day passenger footfall.

India crossed the 500,000 mark in domestic air passengers on Sunday, the country’s highest ever single-day passenger footfall. Industry experts attributed this to travel demand and the ongoing wedding season.

Industry experts attributed the passenger increase to travel demand and the ongoing wedding season. (HT Photo)

The civil aviation ministry released data showing 505,412 domestic passengers flew in 3,173 flights.

On X, announcing the numbers, the ministry posted: “ India’s aviation sector is soaring higher than ever, connecting dreams and destinations seamlessly.”

Passenger traffic has increased consistently over the past two weeks. The industry saw 490,000 passengers on November 8, which rose to 496,000 on November 9, 497,000 on November 14, 499,000 on November 15 and 498,000 on November 16.

Government data showed around 362,000 domestic passengers travelled by air on Diwali (October 31).

Kinjal Shah, senior vice president and co-group head - corporate ratings, ICRA, said domestic air passenger traffic in Diwali week 2024 was notably higher compared to last year.

“Overall, three days prior and three days post Diwali this year, the aggregate air passenger traffic was 7% higher than the similar period last year. Contributing factors include flexible work-from-home options allowing people to extend trips, growth in tier-2 and tier-3 cities connectivity, and enhanced services and promotional fares offered by airlines,” Shah said.

A senior airline ministry official said on condition of anonymity: “Marriages during this period are being observed to be a huge contributory factor in increasing passenger footfall.”

“The exceptionally strong wedding season, combined with lower advance fares available a few weeks ago for November travel, has significantly boosted air passenger demand,” Aloke Bajpai, group CEO, ixigo, said.

He said flight bookings to major metro hubs and top leisure destinations like Delhi, Mumbai, Srinagar, Jaipur, and Goa are seeing a strong 70-80% year-on-year increase.

“Many travellers are returning to their workplaces post-Diwali, contributing to the elevated passenger movement. Wedding season has also emerged as one of the primary drivers behind this spike in bookings. Weddings in India involve extensive travel, with families and guests moving across cities and states, significantly boosting demand for flights,” Nishant Pitti, CEO and co-founder of EaseMyTrip, said.

“We’re confident this positive momentum will continue through the winter months,” he added.

“This surge is a clear testament to the growing appetite for travel among Indians — whether for vacations, weddings, reunions with loved ones or business travel. We have observed an interesting trend of an extended festive season this year—beyond the traditional school holidays and Diwali peak,” Indiver Rastogi, president and group head, global business travel, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel, said.

“As we approach the Christmas season and year-end holidays, we anticipate sustained momentum, driven by weddings, year-end leave, and business travel,” he concluded.