Air passenger demand to contract 49% for Indian airlines in 2020: IATA

The passenger demand for air travel will contract by 49 per cent this year for Indian carriers in comparison to last year due to the Covid-19 crisis, said global airlines body IATA on Monday.

In a statement, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said the Indian carriers’ revenues will decrease by $11.61 billion this year in comparison to last year due to the pandemic.

It said the airlines of the Asia-Pacific region will see passenger demand collapse by 53.8 per cent this year in comparison to last year.

The passenger demand or RPK (revenue passenger kilometers) for a flight is calculated by multiplying the number of passengers sitting in the flight to the distance travelled by that flight.