India Sees Growth in Air Travel, Cargo Handling, and Rail Freight in July 2024
In July 2024, India’s domestic air passenger traffic experienced a 7% year-on-year increase, reaching 1.30 crore passengers, according to the Director General of Civil Aviation. This growth follows a period of slowed expansion due to high airfares and limited capacity additions caused by grounded aircraft. Since April 2024, air traffic growth has regained momentum, despite disruptions from adverse weather and IT issues.
In addition to air travel, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways reported that major Indian government ports handled 70.1 million metric tonnes (MMT) of cargo in July 2024, marking a 7% increase year-on-year. This indicates a positive trend in the country’s trade and logistics sectors.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Railways highlighted that Indian Railways recorded a total freight traffic of 129.6 MMT in July 2024, registering a 4.7% growth year-on-year. Experts attribute this growth to the operationalization of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and the partial completion of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). These corridors now handle approximately 10% of the total freight on the Indian Railway network, improving turnaround times and overall efficiency.
Doubts Revealed
crore -: A crore is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to ten million (10,000,000). So, 1.30 crore passengers means 13 million passengers.
year-on-year -: Year-on-year means comparing data from one year to the same period in the previous year. For example, comparing July 2024 to July 2023.
domestic air passenger traffic -: This refers to the number of people traveling by airplane within India.
cargo handling -: Cargo handling means the process of loading, unloading, and managing goods at ports.
rail freight traffic -: Rail freight traffic refers to the transportation of goods by trains.
Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors -: These are special railway tracks in India designed to carry goods more efficiently across the country.
