Indian load factor hits 10-year high
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
The recent surge in Indian air traffic has led to the country’s India airlines reporting soaring load factors.
According to data from the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), reported by the Economic Times, Indian airlines filled an average of 84.8% of their seats in 2015, the highest level in a decade.
This marks a considerable turnaround for India’s airlines, which have previously struggled to fill their flights. In 2006, the average load factor was just 67.6%.
The recent surge in domestic air travel in India has outpaced the amount of new seats being added by Indian carriers.
According to the latest data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Indian air traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), jumped 19.7% in the first 11 months of 2015. But airlines only added an extra 9.3% seats during this period, causing load factors to surge.
This jump in load factors comes despite the fact that start-ups Vistara and AirAsia India have both been ramping up their operations and offering more choice in the domestic sector.
Comments are closed.