India's domestic air passenger traffic rises 1.4 pc to 864 lakh in H1 2026
New Delhi, July 21
India's domestic aviation market registered steady growth during the first half of 2026, with airlines carrying 864.04 lakh passengers between January and June, up 1.44 per cent year-on-year, according to data released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Domestic passenger traffic rose 1.44 per cent from 851.74 lakh passengers carried during the corresponding period last year, according to the data.
However, passenger movement eased in June as domestic airlines flew 134.64 lakh passengers, down from 136.04 lakh in May.
The sequential decline of 1.03 per cent suggests some moderation in travel demand as the sector entered the second half of the year.
IndiGo continued to dominate India's domestic aviation market during the January-June period, carrying 555.83 lakh passengers and commanding a market share of 64.3 per cent.
The Air India Group remained the second-largest player, transporting 221.67 lakh passengers and accounting for a 25.7 per cent market share.
Together, the two airline groups handled more than 90 per cent of all domestic passenger traffic during the six-month period.
Among other carriers, Akasa Air transported 47.42 lakh passengers, capturing a 5.5 per cent market share, while SpiceJet flew 28.10 lakh passengers, accounting for 3.3 per cent of the market.
Regional carriers continued to account for a relatively small share of passenger traffic. Star Air carried 5.03 lakh passengers with a 0.6 per cent market share, while Alliance Air transported 3.47 lakh passengers, representing 0.4 per cent of the market.
Fly91 carried 2.41 lakh passengers, or 0.3 per cent of the market, while IndiaOne Air flew around 0.10 lakh passengers during the period.
The ministry's data also showed varying levels of capacity utilisation among airlines in June. Akasa Air reported the highest passenger load factor at 92.2 per cent, indicating that more than nine out of every 10 available seats were occupied.
SpiceJet followed with a load factor of 87.8 per cent, while the Air India Group and IndiGo recorded load factors of 85.5 per cent and 85.1 per cent, respectively.
Star Air posted a load factor of 75 per cent, followed by Fly91 at 73.2 per cent. Alliance Air and IndiaOne Air reported load factors of 61.7 per cent and 59.3 per cent, respectively.
Passenger load factor is a key measure of airline capacity utilisation and reflects the proportion of available seats occupied by travellers.
— IANS
Reader Comments
The slight dip in June is interesting—maybe summer vacations ended or people are cutting back on travel due to inflation? 😅 Airlines need to pay attention. And those load factor numbers are revealing: Akasa at 92% is impressive, but Star Air and Alliance Air struggling at 61-75% suggests they need to rethink routes or pricing.
Good to see SpiceJet still hanging on with 3.3% share—they've been through a lot. But the real story is how IndiGo and Air India Group together control 90% of the market. That's not healthy for competition or consumer choice.
I'm an expat living in Bangalore and fly domestic often. The data matches my experience—IndiGo flights are always packed. But I wish they'd improve legroom and food options. The load factor numbers show demand is strong, especially for budget carriers. Hope the smaller airlines like Fly91 and IndiaOne Air can survive—they connect smaller cities that need better service.
Honestly, 864 lakh passengers in six months is huge for India! 🚀 But the 1.03% drop in June is a red flag. Could be due to monsoon season or rising ticket prices. Also, Akasa Air's 92% load factor shows they're doing something right—maybe better service or routes. Need more players to break the duopoly!
I'm concerned about the dominance of just two groups. When IndiGo and Air India control 90% of the market,
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