Indian carriers will see an increase in air traffic as they will operate 23,732 weekly flights in the winter period, higher by 8 per cent, than the flights operated in the same period a year earlier, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation revealed. The winter schedule will be effective from October 30, 2023 to March 30, 2024 as approved by the DGCA.
The aviation authority said on Monday that during the winter schedule 2023, the airlines will log 23,732 departures per week to/from 118 airports. In 2022’s winter schedule, the weekly flights statistics stood at 21,941 flights per week from 106 airports, indicating an increase of 8.16 per cent in the overall flights, reported PTI.
Amongst the airlines, Go First, which halted operations earlier this year on May 3 due to an insolvency process, will not be operating any flights during the schedule. The DGCA further stated that out of the 118 airports, new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines include Bhatinda, Jaisalmer, Ludhiana, Nanded, Shivamogga, Salem, Utkela, Hindon, and Ziro.
The summer schedule in the year included 22,907 flights per week from 110 airports. Against this, the winter schedule will operate 3.60 per cent more weekly flights. Amongst the airlines, IndiGo will operate the maximum number of domestic flights at 13,119 per week in the winter schedule, logging an increase of 30.08 per cent in the flights on a year-on-year (YoY) basis.
Air India will operate the second-highest number of weekly domestic flights at 2,367 departures scheduled in the winter season, up by 18.94 per cent against it’s flights operated in the same period last year. Air India Express and AirAsia India (now called AIX Connect), are in the process of merging, and will jointly operate 1,940 weekly flights in the year’s winter schedule. Vistara will operate 1,902 flights every week. Together, the Air India Group, made up of Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India, and Vistara, will operate 6,209 flights every week in the 2023 winter schedule.
Both Vistara and SpiceJet will operate fewer flights in the current winter schedule compared to the same period a year earlier. While Vistara will operate 1,902 flights, down by 2.01 per cent against 1,941 flights operated in the winter schedule last year, SpiceJet will operate 2,132 domestic flights weekly in the winter schedule, a sharp drop of 33.23 per cent against 3,193 weekly flights operated during last year’s winter schedule.
Alliance Air will operate 914 weekly flights, down by 11.61 per cent against the flights operated in the previous year’s winter schedule. Akasa Air will operate 790 domestic weekly flights in the upcoming winter schedule, up by 64.93 per cent compared to 479 flights operated in the 2022 winter schedule.
Other airlines like Star Air will operate 247 weekly flights, up by 61.44 per cent, and Fly Big will operate 191 flights, less by 10.7 per cent, both on a YoY basis. The winter schedule for 2023 has been finalised by the DGCA after the slot conference meeting held in September.
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