Flight loads drop below 100 for four straight days as flyers defer travel

Industry execs say booking volumes down 30-40%; Airlines have begun clubbing flights last minute due to weakening demand

The average number of passengers per flight fell below 100 for four consecutive days last week, as Maharashtra introduced tight restrictions.

Travel demand has been under pressure since March, and while the number of passengers per flight had slipped to under 100 on three occasions last month, last week’s decline indicates further weakening of demand. Flyers are deferring trips, and airline and travel executives say booking volumes have slumped 30-40 per cent. 

Maharashtra’s new Covid restrictions came into effect last Monday. Malls, multiplexes and markets are closed from Monday-Friday, with a lockdown being imposed on weekends. 

Other states, including Delhi, have also imposed curbs, implementing a night curfew or mandated RT-PCR tests for incoming passengers.  Airlines have begun clubbing flights in the last minute owing to weaker demand. The number of daily departures from Mumbai has declined to 210 from 240, following announcement of the new restrictions. 

Inbound traffic to Pune has also slipped and most flights to Shirdi have been cancelled as places of religious worship remain closed.  

“Industry-wide flight bookings have declined close to 40 per cent, as people put travel plans on hold. Various states have introduced their own travel protocols and there are night curfews that have led to confusion among travellers,” said Jyoti Mayal, president of the Travel Agents Association of India. 

An executive of a private airline said that customers, especially from Maharashtra, were on a wait and watch mode. “There is uncertainty on whether the lockdown will end in April or will continue in May. A few passengers have cancelled their trips to Maldives on account of the same fear. Udaipur was seeing good demand thanks to weddings but there have been booking cancellations, given that there are now restrictions on the number of guests at such events.”  

Forward bookings, which had picked up in January and February, have shrunk once again to under 10 per cent of the total volume. An airline executive said most bookings were now for travel within a month. 

According to Ameya Joshi, founder of aviation blog NetworkThoughts, the number of air passengers flown in the first seven days of April (1,716,834) was lower than February (1,741,013) and March (1,814,867).

The cap on flight capacity was hiked from 70 to 80 per cent in December, and airlines subsequently increased the number of flights. The government has decided to continue with the 80 per cent cap till April-end. 

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had cited the decline in passengers and introduction of compulsory testing as a reason for continuation of the cap. While bookings have slowed down, there is optimism among travel trade regarding leisure trips. 

“There has been a slight increase in flight cancellations as consumers are aware of the rising cases. Customers are now looking to book closer to the travel date, and prioritising health and safety measures while exploring accommodation options at destinations. Destinations at drivable distances as well as off-beat destinations are still preferred,” said Sabina Chopra, co-founder and chief operating officer of Yatra.