18 October 2018 · AV I A T I O N B U S I N E S S http://www.aviationbusinessme.comDATA ON DECK
Over 157 million people
travelled to/from/or
within India in 2017
and IATA expects that
number to reach 520
million by 2037T
he International Air Transport
Association (IATA) recently
released a report detailing the
for ward progress of India’s
aviation market. According to IATA’s
report, the number of people travelling
to/from/or within India has increased
substantially over the last eight years.
In 2010, 79 million people were
reported to have travelled to/from/
or within the countr y. By 2017, this
figure reached 158 million and IATA
projects the numbers will reach 520
million by 2037.
To date, the industr y supports up to
7.5 million jobs in India, which broken
down surmounts to 390,000 industr y
jobs, 570,000 in the value chain, along
with 6.2 million in the tourism sector.
India’s aviation sector contributes rough-
ly $30bn annually to the countr y’s GDP.
Currently the third largest domestic
market behind the US and China, India’s
domestic load factors reached an impres-
sive high of 90% in Februar y 2018, bol-
stered likely by a 70% drop in the average
domestic fares since 2005. Additionally,
a total of 90 million domestic passenger
trips were recorded in 2017, equating to
7.3% of India’s population.
In terms of its international market,
India today links directly to 304 global
destinations, up from 230 reported in
- IATA also highlighted that while
the countr y’s international market is
growing more slowly than domestic,
the segment garnered roughly 60 mil-
IATA REPORT
HIGHLIGHTS INDIA’S
POTENTIAL
lion global journeys to and from India
in 2017. Roughly 41% of the nation’s
direct international connectivity is to the
Middle East.
IATA’s report also took note of factors
critical to the future growth of the coun-
tr y’s aviation sector. On the one hand,
India’s standing within the World Bank’s
Ease of Doing Business sur vey has risen
from 132 to 100, a fi gure that the coun-
tr y will need to continue working on to
ensure sustainable growth for aviation.
Similarly, the countr y has im-
proved its standing in the 2017 World
Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism
Competitiveness Index to reach 40th
place. Continued improvements in air-
port infrastructure density, tourism and
visa policies will help India climb even
further on the rankings.“Meeting the signifi cant growth
potential of Indian aviation will also
create challenges – for the airlines, its
industr y partners and policy-makers.
For example, this will require the right
type of infrastructure at the right time
and in the right place,” commented
Brian Pearce, IATA’s Chief Economist
and the report’s author.
“Equally, the broader business and
policy environment should not place
hurdles which inhibit growth and re-
duce the level of benefi ts that aviation
can deliver to the nation.
“The industr y, its supply chain part-
ners and the government and policy-
makers have a clear mandate to work
in collaboration towards the common
goal of ensuring that aviation’s eco-
nomic and social benefi ts are fulfi lled.”