IA regains market leader position

New Delhi, May 27: Indian Airlines has regained its position as the market leader in domestic air travel, taking a two per cent lead in seat factor over its nearest competitor, an airlines spokesman said here today.

The airline, which grabbed 50 per cent share, recorded a growth of eight per cent in daily passenger carriage in may flying on an average 22,670 passengers per day as compared to last year’s average of 20,880 passengers daily, he said.

The airline’s seat factor also improved to 68.4 per cent as compared to 66 per cent last may, he said, adding the improved seat factor in May followed a "highly successful" performance in April this year when the airline notched a 66 per cent seat factor, two per cent more than Jet Airways.

Over the last eight months, the IA also gained in market share by over six per cent from a low of 44.3 per cent in August, 2000 to 50.5 per cent from December 2000 onwards, the spokesman said.

The figures available with Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) indicate that ia has been maintaining this trend with market share of over 50 per cent for the first four months of this year, the spokesman said.

He said the airlines registered a markedly improved on-time performance of 74.8 per cent on its network in may as compared to 61 per cent last year.

The growth in domestic air traffic during the first four months of 2001 has been sluggish with the recorded rate of only 1.4 per cent over last year, he said.(PTI)