India’s domestic aviation sector saw a robust 15% year-on-year growth in February 2025, with 14 million passengers taking to the skies. This significant rise in air travel is largely credited to the Maha Kumbh festival in Prayagraj, one of the world’s largest religious gatherings, drawing millions of pilgrims from across the country. The event not only elevated spiritual tourism but also created ripple effects across the aviation and infrastructure sectors.
Airlines swiftly adapted to meet the surge in demand. IndiGo maintained its dominant position with a 63.7% market share, while the Air India group expanded its presence to 27.3%. Together, these two carriers handled over 90% of domestic passenger traffic. SpiceJet and Akasa held smaller shares at 3.2% and 4.7%, respectively, yet all carriers experienced strong passenger volumes.
Load factors, a key indicator of airline efficiency, also saw notable improvements. Akasa led with a 95.1% passenger load factor, followed closely by IndiGo at 91.7%, SpiceJet at 91.2%, and the Air India group at 87.2%. On-time performance varied, with IndiGo achieving an 80.2% punctuality rate, followed by Akasa at 78.6% and Air India at 73.4%. SpiceJet trailed with 59%, while IndiGo notably reduced its cancellation rate to just 0.31%.
The demand spike had a sharp impact on airfares to Prayagraj. Fares from Bhopal soared by nearly 500% to ₹17,796, while routes from Delhi and Mumbai saw price hikes of 21% and 13%, respectively. Prayagraj Airport responded by scaling up its operations, expanding infrastructure to manage over 100 daily flights—up from a typical 16. On February 16 alone, the airport recorded a historic 20,297 passengers, its highest single-day traffic to date.
These developments highlight the responsiveness and adaptability of India’s aviation sector in the face of large-scale cultural events. The Maha Kumbh has not only reinforced the growing intersection between religious tourism and domestic air travel but also showcased the sector’s capacity to scale swiftly and efficiently during peak demand periods.
