New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS): Domestic airline passenger numbers for the period spanning January to August soared to 1,006.16 lakh, showcasing a substantial increase from the 770.70 lakh recorded during the same period the previous year, said the aviation watchdog, the DGCA said. 

This impressive growth represents an annual increase of 30.55 per cent and a noteworthy monthly growth rate of 22.81 per cent. According to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), during August, a total of 288 passenger related complaints had been received by the scheduled domestic airlines.

"The number of complaints per 10,000 passengers carried for the month of August 2023 has been around 0.23. –The major reasons for complaints are flight problems. Airlines have received a total of 288 complaints, out of which 282 have been addressed," the data claimed.

Notably, from January to August this year, IndiGo, a budget airline, secured a 59.5 per cent market share by flying 598.58 lakh passengers while Air India, owned by the Tata Group, carried a total of 93.49 lakh passengers, with a market share of 9.3 per cent.

"Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, flew 88.72 lakh passengers, securing an 8.8 per cent market share. AirAsia India, now known as AIX Connect, recorded 75.58 lakh passengers, making up 7.5 per cent of the total traffic," the data stated.

"Akasa Air, which marked its one-year anniversary on July 7, flew 40.49 lakh passengers and claimed a four per cent market share," the data showed.

Despite its challenges, SpiceJet transported 56.61 lakh passengers from January to August this year, capturing 5.6 per cent of the market.

IndiGo also excelled in punctuality, with 89 per cent of its flights departing or arriving on time at major airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad followed by AirAsia with 87.1 per cent.