Domestic air passenger traffic has been falling in the country, but international routes have become more busy.
Domestic air passenger traffic fell 5.2 per cent in 2012-13, whereas international air passenger traffic rose 4.8 per cent during the year.
This was the second consecutive year in which domestic air passenger traffic has declined. It fell 1.4 percentage points in 2011-12.
This was partly on account of the base effect, given that domestic passenger traffic shot up nearly one-fourth (23.8 per cent) in 2010-11.
International air traffic has been growing over the past few years, though expansion in volumes has been slowing down.
In 2011-12, international air passenger traffic at Indian airports grew 7.5 per cent, slower than the 10.3 per cent increase in 2010-11. This can be attributed to smart growth in tourist arrivals, which has also been slowing down over the past three years.
Cargo volumes, on the other hand, have suffered both on domestic and international routes, down for two consecutive years.