Domestic air passenger traffic was estimated at 14.28 million in October 2025, marking a 4.5% year-on-year (y-o-y) increase over 13.6 million in October 2024, and a 12.9% rise month-on-month from September 2025, according to Icra.
The data reflect steady demand recovery and a resilient aviation market despite headwinds including operational disruptions and global trade concerns.
Domestic capacity deployment rose 1.7% y-o-y and 10.8% sequentially during the month, supported by the return of grounded aircraft and improved fleet utilisation.
The average passenger load factor (PLF) stood at 84.7%, higher than 82.4% in October 2024, signalling sustained demand momentum.
For the first seven months of FY26, domestic air passenger traffic was 94.45 million, reflecting a y-o-y growth of 1.6%. In the same period in FY25, the domestic air passenger traffic was around 1,653.8 lakh, a YoY growth of 7.6%. This was in line with ICRA’s estimates of 7-10% y-o-y growth for FY25, it said.
Icra expects the industry to maintain a Stable outlook in FY26, with domestic traffic growth projected at 4–6% and international traffic growth at 13–15%. While travel demand remains healthy, the agency notes that cross-border tensions, Air Traffic Control (ATC) disruptions, and a temporary slowdown in business travel sentiment could temper growth in the near term.
