Domestic Air Passenger Traffic Grows 8.34% To 15.20 Cr In 2023

India witnessed an 8.34 per cent year-on-year increase in domestic air passenger traffic, reaching 152 million during the calendar year 2023. This data, released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday, indicates a notable growth from the 123.2 million domestic passengers recorded by the end of 31 December 2022. 

In December 2023 alone, domestic air passenger traffic surged by 23.36 per cent to 137 million, compared to the 127 million flown by local carriers in 2022. 

Among the domestic carriers, IndiGo, a no-frills airline, dominated the market, transporting 91.9 million passengers and holding a substantial 60.5 per cent market share. Following closely was Air India, a full-service carrier, which accommodated 14.7 million domestic passengers, securing a 9.7 per cent market share. 

Vistara, a joint venture between Air India and Singapore Airlines, claimed a 9.1 per cent market share in 2023, serving 13.8 million passengers. Meanwhile, Tata Group's subsidiary airline AIX Connect transported 10.8 million passengers, capturing a 7.2 per cent market share. 

Budget carrier SpiceJet held a 5.5 per cent market share, carrying a total of 8.39 million passengers in 2023. Akasa Air transported 6.23 million passengers, claiming a 4.1 per cent market share, according to DGCA data. 

Despite its lower market share, Akasa Air boasted the highest on-time performance among key metro airports—Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. Approximately 72.7 per cent of its flights took off or departed on time in 2023. 

On the flip side, SpiceJet received the maximum number of complaints, with 422 out of the total 712 complaints reported, according to the data.