India Becomes World's 5th Largest Aviation Market, Reports IATA
India has surpassed Japan to become the world's fifth-largest aviation market, handling 241 million passengers in 2024, according to the latest World Air Transport Statistics from IATA. The country's air traffic grew by 11.1% year-on-year. The report also identified the Mumbai-Delhi route as the 7th busiest airport pair globally, with 5.9 million passengers. This milestone highlights the rapid expansion of India's aviation sector and its growing importance as a key hub in the global travel network.
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Key factors include rising middle-class incomes, increased urbanization, government initiatives like UDAN to boost regional connectivity, and expansion plans by major airlines such as IndiGo and Air India. Investments in airport infrastructure and a growing demand for both domestic and international travel have also fueled growth.
India is now ranked fifth globally, handling 241 million passengers in 2024, ahead of Japan (205 million) but behind the US (876 million), China (741 million), the UK (261 million), and Spain (241 million). While India's growth rate is high, its total passenger volume is still much lower than the top two markets.
The Mumbai-Delhi route’s ranking as the 7th busiest globally reflects the strength and frequency of India’s domestic air travel, underlining robust economic ties and population movement between these cities. It highlights the importance of domestic routes to India’s aviation growth.
Challenges include airport congestion, high aviation fuel costs, regulatory hurdles, infrastructure limitations, and intense competition leading to financial strain for some carriers. Addressing these issues is essential for sustaining long-term growth and improving service reliability.