India Becomes World’s 5th Biggest Aviation Market

India has officially emerged as the world’s fifth largest aviation market, handling 241 million passengers in 2024, according to the latest World Air Transport Statistics (WATS) released by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Among the busiest flight routes, Mumbai-Delhi ranked 7th globally, marking India’s growing dominance in global air travel.

India’s Rapid Growth in Aviation

India recorded 241 million air passengers in 2024, a 11.1% increase from 2023, when the figure stood at 211 million. This strong performance pushed India ahead of Japan, which handled 205 million passengers, growing 18.6%. India is now behind only the US, China, UK, and Spain in the global rankings.

Global Ranking Snapshot

• United States – 876 million passengers (5.2% growth)
• China – 741 million passengers (18.7% growth)
• United Kingdom – 261 million passengers
• Spain – 241 million passengers
• India – 241 million passengers

Mumbai-Delhi: One of the World’s Busiest Routes

The Mumbai-Delhi air corridor emerged as the 7th busiest airport pair globally, handling 5.9 million passengers in 2024. Asia Pacific dominated the top 10 busiest routes. The Jeju-Seoul (CJU-GMP) route in South Korea topped the list with 13.2 million passengers. The only non-Asia Pacific route in the top 10 was Jeddah-Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).

Premium Class Travel on the Rise

Growth in Business and First Class. Premium travel saw a remarkable 11.8% rise in 2024, slightly higher than the 11.5% growth in economy travel. 116.9 million international premium passengers were recorded, making up 6% of total international passengers.

Regional Insights

• Asia Pacific led with a 22.8% growth in premium passengers, reaching 21 million travelers.
• Europe remained the largest premium travel market with 39.3 million passengers.
• The Middle East had the highest share of premium travelers at 14.7% of all passengers.

Recognition for Indian Airports

Adding to the nation’s aviation achievements, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport was listed among the World’s Top 10 Airports by Travel + Leisure.