Domestic carriers suffered most in 2008-09

Mumbai: If the Indian airline industry were asked to put a figure on the financial downturn, then it would probably be 64%. That is the average percentage of seats that carriers managed to fill up in 2008-09 when the slowdown dealt its worst blow to the airline industry worldwide. The trend reversed only in December 2009: for the first time in two years, Indian carriers had their aircraft fly on domestic routes with about 80% seats occupied. Though figures dipped a bit after the peak travel season, the industry has done better ever since.
According to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the state-run airlines hit nadir on the domestic front in 2008-09. During the period, Indian Airlines (IC-coded domestic flights) had an average passenger load factor of 59%, while Alliance Air managed 57%. For Air India Express (IX-coded domestic flights) and Air India (AI-coded domestic flights), the situation was even bleaker. They managed load factors of 33% and 20%, respectively.
Passenger load factor is the percentage of seats occupied to the number of seats offered in a flight. The load factor alone, however, does not determine the profitability of a flight as it does not indicate the profit or loss made in flying each passenger.
14/02/11 Manju V/Times of India

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Categories: Indian Aviation- In General Feb 2011