Domestic airlines witness 36 per cent drop in passengers

According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA), domestic air passengers in India fell by over 36 per cent in February as compared to the same period last year following a rise in the number of coronavirus infections. 78.27 lakh passengers used the domestic airline services this February against the 123.68 lakh in the previous year, according to DCGA data. However, the passenger load in February has been higher than the last month owing to the tourist season.

"Passengers carried by domestic airlines during Jan-Feb 2021 were 155.61 lakh as against 251.50 lakh during the corresponding period of previous year, thereby registering annual growth of (-) 38.13 per cent and monthly growth of (-) 36.71 per cent," the DGCA data said. All airlines, excluding Pawan Hans, had witnessed significant growth in October 2020 as compared to September following an improvement in the Covid situation.