Indians traveling more

Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. India’s aviation industry is ready for take off.

People interested in traveling in India will find 1.7 million more seats available now than there were a year ago. Compared with May 2006, there were 25 per cent more flights this May in the country. And there doesn’t seem to be any sign of the remarkable growth in aviation in India slowing down.

Only China and the USA offered more additional flights over the past year than India.

In June, there are over 43,000 domestic flights available in India. 1.6 million of the seats available on this flights are being offered through low-cost carriers which means that travel around the country is not only widely available but it is also more economically accessible.

In addition, the number of international flights available from India has doubled since May 2001.

Data about the airline industry was gathered by OAG, an international authority on the aviation industry.

OAG’s vice president of Business Development and Industry Relations, Duncan Alexander, said, ““India’s domestic market is experiencing an unprecedented growth, attributed to the increased operations offered by several low cost carriers.  As a result, nearly one in two flights within India is now operated by a low cost carrier. This is even more impressive considering that the low cost phenomenon is still in its infancy in the Indian market. It has already far outstripped the ratio in the UK and US, two of the most established low cost markets.”

Key airports in India are located in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, and Kolkata.