India has seen the second fastest recovery in domestic seat capacity among top twenty aviation markets compared to 2019, OAG, an aviation data provider has said in its latest analysis.

Domestic seat capacity in India in 2024 is 12.7 per cent higher compared to 2019. Seat capacity growth in India is 8 per cent higher compared to 2023 driven by addition of aircraft by Air India and IndiGo and introduction of new routes.

Domestic airlines are scheduled to operate over 3500 daily flights in winter season which is 5 per cent higher on a year on year basis. Currently, however, the airlines are operating between 3150-3180 flights daily.

The OAG analysis has revealed that among twenty major markets only China, India, Italy, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Turkey registered a double digit seat capacity growth in 2024 over the pre-pandemic period.

Only Saudi Arabia has seen faster growth than India with 17.1 per cent seat addition. However it is a smaller market (2.17 lakh daily seats) compared to India which is the third largest in the world with over 6.5 lakh daily seats.

The analysis also includes UAE which has seen 15 per cent growth in seats over the same period but that is purely international as the country has no domestic aviation market.

On a year on year basis Italy, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Thailand have witnessed double digit growth, OAG Aviation analysis shows.

“Across the twenty largest country markets in the world, half have yet to recover to 2019 capacity levels as a combination of geo-political circumstances, aviation taxes and sustainability pressures. However all but Mexico ( - 3.3 per cent) have grown capacity compared to 2023,”OAG said.

“Globally there has been 6.4 per cent capacity growth on a year on year basis but with two major aircraft manufacturers likely to deliver 30 per cent fewer new aircraft than hoped, aircraft grounded due to engine reliability problems and ongoing skill shortages this growth could have been significantly higher,” it said.

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