The turbulence in the aviation sector last year may soon come to an end. Last month saw 41.4 lakh domestic fliers, 23% higher than January 2009’s figure of 33.7 lakh. This two-digit growth comes close on the heels of an unprecedented 33% figure recorded last December over the same period in 2008. More importantly, it reverses the trend of negative growth, considering January 2009 saw traffic falling by 14% from January 2008. The low-cost carrier (LCC) model has now consolidated itself as the future of domestic flying with budget carriers accounting for almost 60% of all passengers. Both Jet and Kingfisher are now using a majority of their fleet on domestic routes on their budget brands. Air India, which does not have a separate domestic LCC, now finds budget carriers snapping at its heels. The full service AI (domestic) flew 7.3 lakh people last month with leading LCC IndiGo not far behind at 6.2 lakh. The sudden surge in traffic has taken the industry by surprise.
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