According to experts like Kapil Kaul, chief executive officer (Indian subcontinent and Middle East) of the Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, expansions have been consistently falling over the last two years. “In 2005-06, the domestic airline industry saw an average addition of six aircraft a month. Last year it was four and this year it’s likely to be three aircraft a month,” he says.

With rising jet fuel costs leading to costlier tickets, passengers are being increasingly driven away. In the last quarter, the industry grew just 11-12 per cent over the year-ago quarter. This is the lowest growth witnessed at any point in the last four years which have seen some quarters showing robust growth of even 45 per cent.