More Indians flew overseas than on domestic routes in November: Report

• According to data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Indian passengers have taken more international flights than domestic, with the rate of growth for overseas travel at 12.8% in November.
  
• This is for the first time in over a year that the number of international passengers surpassed domestic ones.
  
• The report has also shown that the domestic airlines recorded 786 passenger related complaints with Air India having the maximum share at 247.

India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently revealed numbers on air traffic — domestic and international for the month of November.

According to the stats, for the month of November, Indian passengers took more international flights than domestic. This is for the first time in 15 months that the number of international passengers surpassed domestic ones, with international passenger traffic growing by 12.8% compared to previous month.

On the other hand, domestic air passenger traffic rose by nearly 11% for the month compared to previous month accounting to 11.64 million, which was the lowest over the last four years. For the eleven months until November, the domestic airlines registered a year-on-year growth of 19.21%. Overall, the domestic air passenger traffic was the lowest in the fourth quarter in 2018.

Airlines in India have been pushing consumer-friendly app bookings and various discounts on their domestic and international flights to attract flyers.

The DGCA report also highlighted cancellations and delays pertaining to the number of passengers booking air travel in India. The state-owned national carrier Air India made maximum number of cancellations on domestic routes at 2.74% while Vistara made the least number of cancellations at the rate of 0.15%.

India’s domestic airlines recorded 786 passenger-related complaints, with Air India seeing the maximum share at 247, said the report.

Separately, India’s consumer court has also started enforcing strict rules for the aviation industry. It recently asked the budget carrier, IndiGo, to refund the total flight costs along with a compensation for denying boarding of a passenger with no valid reason.

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