Domestic airlines carried 57.10 lakh passengers in May, almost five per cent more than the 54.48 lakhs passengers flown during the same period last year.

The latest data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation point out that the passenger load factor, or the number of passengers carried by the industry, was high this being peak season.

Traditionally, May and June are considered as peak seasons for the domestic airline industry as schools and colleges across the country break for summer vacations.

According to the data, the six scheduled domestic airlines carried more passengers in May than in April. While Jet Airways carried 9.77 lakh passengers in May compared with 8.63 lakh in the preceding month, Air India flew 10.91 lakh (9.74 lakh).

Among the low-cost airlines, IndiGo flew 16.85 lakh in May as compared with 15.11 lakh in April, while SpiceJet carried 11.33 lakh (9.94 lakh) and GoAir, 5.15 lakh (4.51 lakh).

The latest data show that IndiGo enjoyed a market share of 29.5 per cent, SpiceJet 19.8 per cent, Air India (domestic) 19.1 per cent, Jet Airways 17.1 per cent, GoAir nine per cent and JetLite 5.4 per cent.

This is the second time in this calendar year that the domestic airline industry has carried more passengers in a month compared to the same period last year.

During May, the industry paid Rs 25.99 lakh as compensation to 872 passengers who were denied boarding, while Rs 25.11 lakh was paid to 6,485 passengers affected by cancellation of domestic flights.

ashwini.phadnis@thehindu.co.in

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