Data from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) shows that India’s international passenger numbers almost doubled during the first three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Travel agents attribute the trend to a rise in demand for international travel and support from the G-20 meetings taking place in India. India’s outbound passenger numbers actually saw a 120% hike between January and March 2023.
India’s Outbound Passenger Number Witnesses A Hike
The results show that, as compared to a year earlier, the number of international passengers increased by 121.9% in January, 109.2% in February, and 61% in March of this year.
Although the first three months of any year are typically off-peak for air travel, in 2022, these three months additionally saw reduced travel as a result of the Omicron variant outbreak, which first spread in South Africa at the beginning of the year.
The growth numbers that were recorded in recent months actually surpassed the growth during pre-COVID times. The President of the Travel Agents Federation of India said that Indians are taking international leisure trips, which indicates the demand for air travel.
There are many reasons behind the tremendous growth in international traffic. This year, the biggest reason for this increase is the G20. The President of the Travel Agents Association of India, Jyoti Mayal, said that business travel has not seen much growth as people after COVID prefer virtual meetings.
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Not Yet Reached Pre-Pandemic Levels
The number of international passengers carried at the AAI airports in January 2023 (5.7 million) was still lower than the numbers (6.49 million) in January 2020. The numbers indicated that the surge has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels because of several factors, like inflation and the war in Ukraine.
Jyoti explained that the majority of the increase in overseas travel was being driven by students and VFRs. Students and their parents are once again travelling for graduation ceremonies, she continued.
Airlines in the country continue to post record passenger numbers even after the suspension of GoFirst. India has been an exception in terms of the return of air travellers following the outbreak. (As per TravelBizmonitor.com)
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