IndiGo’s Passenger Traffic Grows Faster Than Industry In June

Passenger growth of InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., the parent company of India’s largest airline IndiGo, surpassed the industry average in June, first time after it was beset by engine troubles earlier this year.

The industry’s passenger traffic grew at 18.4 percent—the lowest in the last three years—compared with IndiGo’s 22 percent as around 11 million passengers took to the skies in June, according to data released by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

GoAir, AirAsia India and Vistara have beaten the industry for the past 10 months.

That wasn’t the case with the larger players in the world’s fastest-growing aviation market— Jet Airways Ltd., Air India and SpiceJet Ltd. Jet’s passenger growth was the lowest in the last 16 months, while that of SpiceJet was at a 32 month-low.

Passenger load factor, a measure of capacity utilisation, declined for all airlines compared with last month as June is a seasonally weak month. Capacity utilisation for the Ajay Singh-led airline — which was above 90 percent for 38 consecutive months — dropped for the second straight month.

IndiGo, GoAir, AirAsia India and Vistara grabbed market share from Air India, Jet and SpiceJet for the month. The market share of Jet and SpiceJet declined for the seventh and sixth consecutive month, respectively.

IndiGo’s flight cancellation rate — at a fifth of the industry—was also the lowest among airlines. Its on-time performance was best in the industry at 84.1 percent.