IndiGo retained its leadership in the domestic sector in June with a 38.4% market share despite its performance dropping month-on-month, even as most airlines’ recorded lower passenger load factor (PLF) due to the end of the tourist season.
In this period, SpiceJet registered the highest PLF — at 93.2% — ahead of several other airlines including market leaders IndiGo that recorded PLF of 86.6%, according to Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data. The high load factor can be attributed to various discounts and offers rolled out by SpiceJet in previous months.
However, SpiceJet took a beating when it came to its on-time performance (OTP) by registering the lowest (60.2%) to four major metros — New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
IndiGo clocked a 38.4% market share, carrying 25.37 lakh passengers. The carrier maintained its lead over Jet Airways (18.3%), Air India (15.3%), SpiceJet (12.1%), GoAir (8.7%), JetLite (2.8%), AirAsia India (1.9%), Vistara (1.3%), Air Costa (1 %) and Air Pegasus (0.1%).
Though the JetAirways management adopted a single-brand strategy late last year, the airline continues to report performance figures for its former low-cost subsidiary, JetLite, since the fleet that serviced the no- frills carrier still runs on the JetLite/JetKonnect air operating permit (AOP).
In terms of passengers, Jet Airways carried second-highest at 12.11 lakh in June to IndiGo’s (25.37 lakh), followed by Air India (10.09 lakh), SpiceJet (8 lakh), GoAir (5.72 lakh), JetLite (1.87 lakh), AirAsia India (1.26 lakh), Vistara (0.84 lakh), Air Costa (0.66 lakh) and Air Pegasus (0.09 lakh). Passengers carried by domestic airlines in January-July 2015 period was up 19.81% y-o-y to 3.9 crore, the DGCA data showed.
In June, IndiGo (86.6%) recorded the second highest load factor after SpiceJet (93.2%), followed by Air Asia India (84%), GoAir (83.6%), Air Costa (79.2%), JetLite (78.1%), Jet Airways (77.7%), Air India (73.5%), Air Pegasus (73.1%) and Vistara (59.3%). The passenger load factor in June fell compared with previous month primarily due to the end of tourist season, DGCA said.
Despite recording comparatively low load factor, Air Pegasus registered the best on-time performance (OTP) of 99% on the DGCA’s list of airline’s performance at four metro airports of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore in June. Others in the list included Vistara (95.6%), Air Costa (87.3%), Air Asia India (87.2%), IndiGo (82.6%), Jet Airways and Jet Lite (78.6%), Go Air (76.8%), Air India (75.7%) and SpiceJet (60.2%).
While GoAir only flies to three major metros Bangalore, New Delhi and Mumbai, Air Costa has presence only in Bangalore and Hyderabad, and Air Asia India flies only to two major metros New Delhi and Bangalore, while the latest regional airline to hit the skies, Air Pegasus, connects parts of South India.
In June, a total of 819 passenger complaints were received by airlines, down from 858 the previous month. Jet Airways and Jet Lite received the highest number of complaints at 194, followed by IndiGo (180), Air India (173), SpiceJet (160), GoAir (67), Air Pegasus (26), Air Asia India (14), AirCosta (4), Vistara (1).
