Domestic air passenger travel is showing signs of picking up with the passing of each month. On a month-on- month basis, it showed an improvement with 39.43 lakh and 52.71 lakh people opting for air travel in the country in September and October, respectively.

However, year-on-year, the numbers are still lower — 51 per cent down at 63.54 lakh passengers in November compared with the corresponding period last year, the aviation regulator said on Friday.

While IndiGo carried 34.23 lakh passengers in November, a 53.9 per cent share of the total domestic market, SpiceJet flew 8.4 lakh passengers, which is a 13.2 per cent share of the market, according to data shared by the DGCA.

Air India, GoAir, AirAsia India and Vistara carried 6.56 lakh, 5.77 lakh, 4.21 lakh and 3.97 lakh passengers, respectively in November. The occupancy rate or load factor of the six major Indian airlines was between 66.3 per cent and 77.7 per cent in November.

“The passenger load factor in November 2020 has shown some recovery because of increased demand after the lockdown was lifted and the onset of the festive season,” the directorate-general of civil aviation (DGCA) said.

The occupancy rate at SpiceJet was 77.7 per cent in November. For IndiGo, Vistara, GoAir, Air India and AirAsia India, the rate was 74 per cent, 70.8 per cent, 70.8 per cent, 69.6 per cent and 66.3 per cent, respectively.