In March 2024, the domestic air travel scene witnessed a substantial impact on passengers, with over 2 lakh individuals experiencing flight delays and 23,675 passengers facing cancellations. The latest data from the DGCA revealed that the total number of passengers carried by domestic airlines in March was 133.68 lakh, showcasing a 3.7% growth in comparison to the previous year's statistics.
The on-time performance (OTP) statistics for various airlines provide insight into their efficiency in meeting schedules. Akasa Air claimed the top spot with an OTP of 84.5%, closely followed by AIX Connect at 83%, IndiGo at 81.3%, Vistara at 76.6%, Air India at 71.9%, and SpiceJet at 63.6%. In contrast, Alliance Air recorded the lowest OTP at 48.6%, as indicated by the DGCA data.
It is interesting to note the fluctuation in market shares among the different airlines in March. IndiGo saw its market share rise to 60.5%, while Air India's market share increased to 13.1%. Vistara experienced a decrease to 9.6%, whereas SpiceJet's market share slightly rose to 5.3%. Akasa Air faced a marginal drop to 4.4%, and AIX Connect also witnessed a decline to 5.8% in market share during this period. This fluctuation in market shares reflects the competitive dynamics in the domestic airline industry.
Moreover, the report highlighted that 943 passengers were denied boarding during this period. Additionally, the cumulative passengers carried by domestic airlines from January to March 2024 amounted to 391.46 lakhs, reflecting a growth of 4.38% annually and 3.68% monthly compared to the corresponding period in the previous year. These figures provide a comprehensive overview of the performance and trends in the domestic air travel sector during March 2024.