Domestic Air Passenger Traffic Surpasses 5 Lakh for the First Time, Marking Record High

In a major milestone for the Indian aviation industry, domestic air passenger traffic exceeded 5 lakh for the first time in a single day on Sunday, November 17, 2024. A total of 5,05,412 passengers were carried, with 3,173 flight departures, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. This record-breaking figure reflects strong travel demand amid the ongoing festive and wedding seasons.

“Domestic travel has witnessed strong demand during the festive season. Daily flown pax crossed 5 lakh on November 17,” said Gaurav Patwari, Vice President - Air Category at travel portal Cleartrip. “The high passenger movement is largely backed by robust festive demand and the start of the wedding season. We expect strong demand to continue in the winter season,” Patwari added.

The occupancy rate for flights operated by major scheduled carriers on Sunday was above 90 percent, further indicating the surge in air travel demand. However, despite the high traffic, airlines faced challenges with their On-Time Performance (OTP). IndiGo’s OTP stood at 74.2 percent, followed by Alliance Air at 71 percent, and Akasa Air at 67.6 percent. Other carriers, including SpiceJet and Air India, recorded OTPs of 66.1 percent and 57.1 percent, respectively.

The high demand comes in the wake of the winter flight schedule, which started on October 27, 2024, and runs through March 29, 2025. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) revealed that Indian airlines will operate 25,007 flights every week to and from 124 airports during this period. This marks a 3 percent increase in weekly departures compared to the summer schedule, with a 5.37 percent rise compared to the previous winter season.

With strong growth in passenger traffic and an increase in flight operations, the Indian aviation sector continues to show resilience, fueled by festive and wedding season travel demand.