Even as the Civil Aviation Ministry has projected yearly air traffic of 20 million passengers by 2010, most domestic airlines are trying to tackle the decrease in passenger load.

While suspension of the London-Kolkata flight of the British Airways was the first major blow in international segment, Air India also recently announced withdrawal of its London-Kolkata from March 2009.

Domestic flights are also feeling the pinch. Compared to October 2007, the number of Jet Airways flights operating from Kolkata has gone down by four. While one of the two Chennai-bound flights has been withdrawn, the airlines has suspended its flights to Port Blair and Ahmedabad.  One flight to Delhi also remains suspended.

Jet Airways sources said the night flights to Mumbai and Delhi are reeling under pressure, with less than 45 per cent seat occupancy.

After the merger of Kingfisher and Air Deccan, the number of flights has also gone down. “In October last year, Kingfisher had 16 flights from Kolkata. This year the number stands at 14. We are facing a decline of 10 to 15 per cent in air traffic compared to last year,” said an official of Kingfisher Airways.

Low cost carrier SpiceJet has also withdrawn its flight to Hyderabad from July 2008.

“While the seat occupancy last year was near 75 per cent, this year it is less than 70 per cent,” said an Air India official. According to officials of the Kolkata airport, passenger traffic in the domestic sector has decreased by 15 to 20 per cent in the last few months.