New Delhi, Feb 27 (IANS): India's Economic Survey for 2012-13 Wednesday showed a marginal decline of 1.8 percent in the domestic passenger traffic handled at the Indian airports during January-November 2012.

According to the Survey, the domestic passenger count at the Indian airports during the period under review stood at 106 million passengers from 108 million during the corresponding period of 2011-12.

The domestic passenger traffic handled at airports had increased by 19.4 percent at 108.1 million during January-November, 2011 from 90.5 million in the corresponding period of 2010-11.

Weakening economic activity and high air fares coupled with increasing interest and fuel cost has led to a major decline in traffic.

The Survey which was tabled in the parliament by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram Wednesday, a day ahead of the national budget for 2013-14, shows an increase 1.6 percent in international passenger traffic handled at the Indian airports.

The international passenger traffic handled during January-November, 2012 stood at 37.8 million from 36.20 million during the like period of 2011-12.

In terms of international cargo throughput at Indian airports, the Survey furnished data which showed a decline as well.

The air freight dipped marginally and stood at 1.30 million metric tonne (MMT) from 1.37 MMT handled during the corresponding period of previous fiscal year.

"Domestic cargo throughput during January-November 2012 stood at 0.73 MMT, almost the same as in the corresponding period of the previous year," the Survey authored by Chief Economic Advisor to the finance ministry Raghuram Rajan said.