India records highest number of domestic flyers in 2017

India recorded highest number of domestic flyers in year 2017 carrying 11.71 crore passengers, registering a growth of 17.31% from the previous year. The record growth is attributed to  low airfares aided by lower jet fuel price, growing disposable income of people, capacity addition and flying to new destinations under UDAN scheme.  

This is the first time that domestic carriers have flown more than 10 crore passengers in a calender year. They crossed the one-crore mark in November itself. Indian carriers have added more than five crore passengers in the past seven years, as it was only in 2010 they managed to fly more than five crore people.

The report by Directorate General of Civil Aviation said that the domestic carriers flew 11.71 crore passengers last year as against 9.98 crore in 2016.

Last December alone, the airlines flew 1.12 crore passengers, the highest for a single month in Indian aviation history, as against 95.52 lakh in 2016. Last year, the airlines broke the one-crore mark four times -- first in May followed by October, November and December.

IndiGo remained the market leader for another year, garnering 39.6% of the market share by ferrying 463.72 lakh passengers. In 2016, its market share was 39.3% ferrying 392.65 lakh passengers while it was 297.43 lakh passengers and market share of 36.7% in 2015.

Jet Airways along with its subsidiary JetLite cornered a market share of 17.8% carrying 207.63 lakh passengers, showing a dip from 19% market share in 2016 and 22.5% in 2015. Though market share has dipped last year, the number of passengers it carried grew.

For Air India, which will soon see divestment of government stakes, the numbers were not that impressive as the national carrier too witnessed a dip in figures. Last year, its market share slipped to 13.3% from 14.6%. while there was an increase in number of passengers from 146.30 lakh fliers to 155.81 lakh.

However, SpiceJet grew its market share to 13.2% from 12.7% with 154.32 lakh passengers. There was an impressive increase in number of passengers from 126.74 lakh to 154.32 lakh.