India's airlines carry 15.4 million passengers in May, marking 9.2% annual growth

India's domestic aviation sector returned to growth in May 2026, with airlines carrying 15.4 million passengers, a 9.2% increase from 14.1 million in the same month last year, according to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The recovery follows a weaker April, when domestic passenger traffic softened on both a sequential and annual basis amid lower travel demand and operational pressures. May's performance reflected stronger summer holiday travel, with airlines deploying capacity on routes witnessing higher demand.

Passenger traffic also increased from 13.8 million in April 2026, translating into a 9.49% month-on-month rise.

For the first five months of 2026, domestic airlines carried 72.9 million passengers, compared with 71.6 million during the corresponding period in 2025, representing 1.91% year-on-year growth, according to the DGCA.

Summer demand offsets operational challenges

The May recovery came despite persistent challenges across the aviation sector.

According to the DGCA data reported by The Financial Express, airlines continued to operate against a backdrop of higher operating costs, aircraft shortages and airspace disruptions. Carriers also focused on deploying aircraft on stronger-yielding routes to maximise capacity during the peak travel season.

The rebound suggests domestic travel demand remained resilient even as airlines continued to manage supply constraints.

IndiGo and Air India Group account for over 90% of the market

IndiGo retained its leadership in India's domestic aviation market during May, although its share edged down marginally.

Key market share data for May includes:

• IndiGo carried 9.99 million passengers, with a 64.9% market share, compared with 65% in April.
• Air India Group transported 3.93 million passengers, increasing its market share to 25.6% from 24.7% a month earlier.
• Combined, IndiGo and Air India Group accounted for more than 90% of domestic passenger traffic.
• Akasa Air retained a 5.8% market share, carrying nearly 0.9 million passengers.
• SpiceJet's market share declined to 2.5%, down from 3.4% in April.
• Regional airlines including Fly91, Alliance Air, Star Air and IndiaOne Air collectively accounted for less than 2% of the domestic market.

Load factors improve across major airlines

Higher passenger demand was reflected in improved seat occupancy across most carriers.

According to the DGCA:

• Akasa Air recorded the highest passenger load factor among major airlines at 92.5%.
• IndiGo's load factor rose to 86.4%, up from 82.7% in April.
• Air India Group improved its load factor to 83.5%, compared with 78.5% a month earlier.

The improvement indicates airlines were able to fill a larger proportion of available seats during the summer travel period.

Operational metrics remain stable

Operational performance remained largely steady during May.

The DGCA reported an overall cancellation rate of 0.55% for scheduled domestic airlines, with technical reasons accounting for the largest share of cancellations.

Airlines also received 3,080 passenger complaints during the month, equivalent to around two complaints per 10,000 passengers, according to the regulator.