Direct flights open up new international destinations as Indian arrivals increase by double digits

Last year, IndiGo operated its maiden flight to Central Asia. Although it was uncharted territory for the company, the expansion bet appears to have paid off, as passenger numbers have increased.

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Indian tourist arrivals to popular leisure destinations such as Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam have increased by double digits this year. Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, which are connected by direct flights from Delhi, saw a 133% and 148% increase in Indian tourist arrivals compared to 2023, according to data compiled by aviation consultancy CAPA India.

Revenge travel is driving the travel recovery after the coronavirus pandemic, while relaxed visa standards and increased air connectivity are boosting demand.

As Indian travelers want to explore new destinations, airlines are increasing their capacity.

“Demand for international travel is strong. We continue to explore new markets and add destinations,” IndiGo CEO Peter Elbers said on Friday’s post-earnings conference call. spoke.

IndiGo may launch routes to Penang and Langkawi in Malaysia in the coming months. It also plans to add three more international destinations by March next year. These additions will increase our international footprint to 40 cities.

“India’s outbound air travel market is seriously underpenetrated. Further focus by Indian airlines on international flights will lead to further growth in passenger numbers,” said CEO South Asia, CAPA India. CEO Kapil Kaur said.

According to aviation analysis firm Curium, the number of scheduled international flights to and from India is expected to increase by 9.4% year-on-year in November. Introduced seats increased by 10%. Indian airlines have reported faster growth than their foreign peers in international flights, with flights and seat capacity increasing by more than 15% over the same period.

India is the top tourist destination for Sri Lanka, with over 300,000 of its citizens visiting the country between January and October. Similarly, with over 1.6 million inbound visitors, India is Thailand’s third largest outbound market after China and Malaysia. India also increased tourist arrivals to Malaysia by 50% compared to 2019, moving it to fifth place (from sixth place before the pandemic).

Air India Express plans to fly to Bangkok and Phuket, while Thai airline Nok Air will start flights to Mumbai from the end of October.

“This enhanced connectivity will make Bangkok an important gateway to Thailand. Our new service is a pivotal milestone for Nok Air in strengthening its international network as a premium budget airline. ” said Ranon Vipsiri, the airline’s chief commercial officer.

According to travel agency Thomas Cook India, demand for travel during Diwali is up 30% compared to last year, with Thailand, Japan, Europe and Central Asia being particularly popular.

According to a recent study by MakeMyTrip, searches for international travel remain relatively stable across seasons, with December being the most active month for international travel searches. The October to December quarter sees the highest number of searches for short-haul destinations, while the six-month period from April to September sees an increase in searches for medium- and long-haul destinations.

According to the survey, popular destinations such as the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and the US top the list of destinations Indians want to travel to, while Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Bhutan top the emerging destinations.