Flights on busiest domestic routes up but still lag pre-Covid peak

Flights on India’s top 10 domestic routes increased in 2022 but were still below their pre-Covid peaks, according to the data from aviation analytics company Cirium.

Industry sources said the flights on top 10 busiest routes had not crossed their pre-Covid peaks because of a lack of slots at major airports, planes grounded due to a delay in engine supply, financial issues hobbling certain carriers, and tough competition.

Among the top 10, Delhi-Srinagar was the only route that has crossed its pre-Covid peak. India’s busiest route continued to be Delhi-Mumbai, where 36,500 flights were scheduled in 2022. Among the top 10, Delhi-Pune saw the highest year-on-year (YoY) growth (61 per cent) in number of flights in 2022. The second highest YoY growth, among the top 10 routes, was observed on the Mumbai-Bengaluru route in 2022 at 57 per cent.