The domestic air traveler traffic developed by around 3% with around 68-69 lakh travelers in September 2021 contrasted with around 67 lakh in August 2021. As per rating organization ICRA, around 61,100 flights were considered last month to be as against 39,628 takeoffs in September 2020, bringing about last year’s flights being higher by around 6%.
Suprio Banerjee, vice president and sector head, ICRA said: “For September 2021, the average daily departures were at approximately 2,100, significantly higher than the average daily departures of approximately 1,321 in September 2020, and higher than around 900 in August 2021, though they remained lower than around 2,200 in January 2021.”
The ministry of civil aviation (MoCA) had diminished the reasonable capacity deployment to half of pre-Covid levels from June 1, 2021, because of the resurgence of the second wave Covid-19. It had expanded the allowed ability to 72.5% with impact from August 12, 2021, yet has now allowed the ability to 85% with impact from September 18, 2021, until additional orders. Furthermore, the ministry loosened up the fare cap rule from September 18. “Though the recovery continued in September 2021, demand continues to be subdued from the corporate traveller segment as reflected by passenger traffic being lower by around 38% in September 2021 compared to pre-Covid levels,” Banerjee added.
ICRA said that the expansion in allowed capacity to 85% levels is a step in the right direction, given the beginning of the festive season. “Also, reduction in fare cap rollover period from 30 days to 15 days is a move towards market-driven pricing as applicable during the pre-Covid period, wherein the pricing was determined by the actual demand-supply dynamics and real passenger load factors,” it added.
Under the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) that began on May 7 last year, international passenger traffic (inbound and outbound) for Indian aircrafts was around 46 lakh for the period May 7, 2020, to September 30, 2021. For September 2021, international traveler traffic for Indian airlines under a similar set-up was around four lakh, denoting a sequential development of around 30%.
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