Simple Flying - Gaurav Joshi
The latest figures from relevant authorities seem to suggest that a good recovery is well within reach.
Recent projections from the government and independent agencies paint a positive picture of aviation recovery in India. If forecasts are to be believed, domestic air traffic in the country could almost touch pre-pandemic levels by the same time next year. International traffic will also see a significant upward trajectory, although somewhat slower than domestic by some estimates. Here’s a closer look at the figures that claim that Indian airports could return to pre-pandemic buzz within the next 12 months.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) believes that the total number of domestic and international passengers visiting airports across the country could hit the pre-pandemic mark by the end of the 2023 financial year.
While passenger footfall dipped by almost 66% in financial year (FY) 2021 to 115 million compared to 341 million in FY20, the AAI estimates that it could reach 339 million by next year. These numbers were recently made available by the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, V.K. Singh.
Looking beyond 2023, the AAI is even more robust in its projections and hopeful that passenger numbers could soar to 448 million by 2025. Of course, it’s crucial to preface these figures by adding that such projections are possible only if COVID is contained, with no major outbreaks in the future.
