Domestic air travel in India continued to rise, with passenger traffic registering a 10.2% year-on-year (YoY) increase in April 2025, according to a recent report by rating agency ICRA. The total number of domestic air passengers during the month is estimated at 145.5 lakh, up from 132.0 lakh in April 2024. However, the growth remained flat on a month-on-month basis.
ICRA noted that airline capacity deployment in April 2025 was 6.9% higher than in the same month last year. However, it fell by 4.2% when compared with March 2025, indicating a slight slowdown in available seat capacity on a sequential basis.
It said “For April 2025, domestic air passenger traffic was estimated at 145.5 lakh, 10.2% higher than 132.0 lakh in April 2024.” For the entire financial year 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025), domestic air passenger traffic stood at approximately 1,653.8 lakh. This marked a 7.6% increase over FY24 and was 16.8% higher than the pre-Covid level of around 1,415.6 lakh recorded in FY20.
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The report also noted that the international travel also saw a healthy rise. The report said international passenger traffic for Indian carriers reached 338.6 lakh in FY25, reflecting a strong YoY growth of 14.1%. This was also 49% higher than the pre-Covid level of 227.3 lakh, showing a significant recovery in overseas travel demand.
Looking ahead, ICRA has maintained a “stable” outlook on the Indian aviation industry. This is supported by expectations of moderate growth in domestic air passenger numbers and a stable cost environment in FY2026.
The industry is also expected to have witnessed steady pricing power and stable yields during FY25 compared to FY24. Despite these challenges, domestic air traffic is projected to grow at 7-10% in FY26, maintaining the positive momentum.
