INDIA BECOMES WORLD’S 5TH BIGGEST AVIATION MARKET

CURRENT CONTEXT : India officially became the world’s 5th largest aviation market, according to the World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

• India handled 241 million air passengers, showing a growth of 11.1 percent from 2023.
• The Mumbai–Delhi air route was ranked as the 7th busiest air route in the world.

ABOUT INDIA’S AVIATION GROWTH

• Passengers Handled (2024): 241 million
• Growth from 2023: 1 percent
• 2023 Passenger Data: 211 million
• India Overtook: Japan (205 million passengers)
• Top 4 Countries:
  • United States – 876 million passengers
  • China – 741 million passengers
  • United Kingdom – 261 million passengers
  • Spain – 241 million passengers