India aviation traffic rebounds as West Asia tensions ease

India's aviation sector posted a gradual rebound in May, with international passenger traffic climbing to about 2.3 million, a 24 % month‑on‑month rise. Revenue passenger kilometres rose 12 % sequentially and flight departures rose 22 % to roughly 14,200, lifting the load factor to 76.6 %.

Lower global aviation fuel prices helped offset the pressure of a weak rupee—around 94.7 per US dollar—on dollar‑denominated aircraft expenses. Domestic traffic also grew, reaching about 15.4 million passengers, up 10 % year‑on‑year, while capacity metrics continued to increase.

Analysts said the improvement reflects easing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, which is normalising international operations alongside solid domestic demand.