Domestic airline performance, market share and head-to-head comparisons. Data sourced from DGCA via open datasets.
Source: DGCA IndiaDomestic RoutesLoading data...
Total Carriers
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Domestic scheduled
2024 Passengers
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In Crores
vs 2020
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5-year recovery
Market Leader
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By passenger share
Airline Traffic Trend
Bars = passengers · Line = growth vs 2020
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Passengers (Cr)
Growth %
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Market Share Leaderboard
% of total domestic passengers by airline
2024
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
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Carrier Head-to-Head
Compare two airlines across 2020–2025 on the same chart
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2024 passengers
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Key Observations from the Data
Analysis
COVID Impact & Recovery
Domestic traffic collapsed by ~65% in 2020 — the steepest single-year drop in Indian aviation history, driven by lockdowns and flight suspensions from March–May 2020.
2021 remained subdued with multiple pandemic waves, most carriers running at below 60% of 2019 capacity through mid-year.
Recovery accelerated sharply from Q3 2022, with total passengers surpassing pre-COVID 2019 levels for the first time.
India's aviation recovery was notably faster than the global average, with leisure travel leading ahead of business travel.
Market Leadership
IndiGo held 55–60%+ domestic market share consistently across 2020–2025, the undisputed leader by a significant margin.
The Tata Group's acquisition of Air India in Jan 2022 transformed the competitive landscape — its share climbed steadily post-turnaround.
Go First's bankruptcy in May 2023 freed up significant slot capacity which IndiGo and Air India quickly absorbed into their networks.
Akasa Air, launched in Aug 2022, grew rapidly — validating strong residual demand for new low-cost entrants.
City-Level Trends
Delhi and Mumbai jointly handle ~40% of all domestic traffic, but growth is constrained by airport capacity — both are among Asia's most congested.
Bengaluru and Hyderabad posted the strongest post-COVID growth among metros, driven by IT sector travel demand.
Chennai and Kolkata are notable outliers — both had not fully recovered to pre-2019 counts even by 2024, reflecting structural headwinds.
Tier-2 cities like Indore, Surat, Varanasi and Goa showed above-average growth thanks to UDAN scheme connectivity improvements.
Structural Shifts & Outlook
Indian domestic aviation crossed 15 Crore passengers in 2023 for the first time — a milestone surpassed again in 2024, signalling a structural step-up.
The LCC model now accounts for 85%+ of domestic seat capacity, making India one of the most price-competitive aviation markets globally.
Metro-to-non-metro routes grew faster than metro-to-metro, with regional connectivity becoming the primary growth engine from 2022 onwards.
Massive fleet orders — IndiGo's 500+ A320neo family and Air India's 470-aircraft deal — point to confidence in sustained growth through 2030.