Domestic Air Travel Surges In March, Traffic Jumps 9 Per Cent; IndiGo Continues To Dominate Indian Market

According to the DGCA, domestic airlines transported 145.42 lakh passengers in March 2025, up from 133.68 lakh passengers carried during the same month last year.

IndiGo continued its dominance in the Indian aviation market by ferrying 93.1 lakh passengers, thereby securing a 64 per cent market share.

Source : Freepik

Indian carriers witnessed an 8.79 per cent year-on-year surge in domestic air passenger traffic during March 2025, as per the data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Saturday.

A total of 1.45 crore passengers were flown during the month, compared to 1.33 crore recorded in March 2024. According to the monthly report, domestic airlines transported 145.42 lakh passengers in March 2025, a notable rise from the 133.68 lakh passengers carried during the same month last year, reported PTI.

IndiGo continued its dominance in the Indian aviation market by ferrying 93.1 lakh passengers, thereby securing a 64 per cent market share. The Air India Group, comprising Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, transported 38.8 lakh passengers, accounting for a 26.7 per cent market share. Among other significant players, Akasa Air and SpiceJet carried 7.2 lakh and 4.8 lakh passengers respectively, capturing market shares of 5 per cent and 3.3 per cent each.

IndiGo Tops On-Time Performance Charts

IndiGo also topped the charts when it came to on-time performance (OTP), clocking an impressive 88.1 per cent for March 2025. Akasa Air followed closely with an OTP of 86.9 per cent, while the Air India Group posted 82 per cent. SpiceJet reported an OTP of 72.1 per cent. The DGCA's computation of OTP was based on data from four metro airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad.

DGCA Issues Advisory Amid Airspace Closures

Notably, amid changes in international flight operations, the DGCA on Saturday released an advisory urging airlines to strengthen their passenger communication and in-flight catering services. This move comes in the wake of Pakistan’s decision to close its airspace to Indian carriers, leading to longer flight durations, particularly for international departures from northern cities like Delhi.

The aviation regulator highlighted that flight rerouting and longer block times have become common, occasionally necessitating technical stops for operational or fuel-related reasons. The advisory underlined five focus areas for airlines: pre-flight communication with passengers, enhancing in-flight comfort and catering, ensuring medical preparedness, establishing alternative aerodrome options, and improving customer service and intra-departmental coordination.

According to DGCA, "due to recent developments involving international airspace closures and overflight restrictions, airline operations have been impacted." The regulator stressed the need for proactive steps to minimise passenger inconvenience and ensure smooth flight operations in light of ongoing challenges.