20.6.12

Domestic Air travel dips

High airfares amid a stuttering economy have led to holidayers shying away from flying this summer. The number of domestic flyers in May was about 1% less than the same month last year with about 54.5 lakh people taking to the skies as opposed to 55 lakh. 
This is the first negative month-on-month growth rate registeredby domestic air travel in many years since the launch of budget airlines here 
seven years back. Domestic air travel in May 2011 had witnessed almost 14% growth over May2010. Air fares have never been higher as all airlines have capitalized on Kingfisher’sdrastic reduction of capacity from 64 aircraftslast year to just 16 now. Thanks to the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India, travellers for some time felt the entire airline’soperations were affected when 400 of the latter’s pilots went on an indefinite strike since May 7. This reduced capacity led to other airlines sending fares on a gravity defying spree. 
  

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