Domestic air traffic falls for 9th week

NEW DELHI: Fewer Indians took to the skies for the ninth week in a row amid a fresh surge in Covid cases across the country.

The average number of daily fliers stood at 49,000 for the week ended 23 May, compared to 60,000 for the previous week and 126,000 in the week that ended on 1 May, according to a report by ICICI Securities.

The average passenger load factor (PLF), a metric that measures how much of an airline’s passenger carrying capacity is used, was about 30% during the week ended 23 May, the report showed. The average number of departures declined sharply to 790 during the week against 948 in the previous week. The number of fliers per departure declined to 62 from 64 in the respective weeks.

“Average daily fliers dipped 19% week-on-week because of a 16.7% drop in departures and 3% drop in the number of fliers per departure,” the report said.

“The dip in traffic is attributable to travel restrictions in line with Covid guidelines and a higher number of Covid cases,” it added.

Passengers are apprehensive about air travel amid rising caseload. Besides, the negative Covid-19 test reports that are mandated for travel, the imposition of mandatory home quarantine measures, and the lockdowns imposed by various states and Union territories are expected to adversely impact passenger traffic and airline operations, which have already been impacted by the second wave of Covid-19.