New direct flights from domestic carriers stimulate foreign travel by Indians 

Thanks to new direct flights from domestic carriers, Indians are increasingly making trips to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, which reported a three-digit growth of Indian visitors in the last year, according to an assessment by aviation consultancy firm CAPA India. 

According to the data, there was a growth of 148% and 139% in Indian travellers visiting Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, respectively, this year compared to the same period in 2023.  

IndiGo launched direct flights to the two nations in the middle of last year and this has resulted in Indian travellers flocking to the central Asian and eastern European destinations, CAPA said. 

Double-digit growth in Indian travellers has also been seen in the US, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam with IndiGo and Air India adding new or more flights to these countries. 

“India’s international air travel market is extremely under-penetrated. The triple-digit growth of Indian visitors to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is with IndiGo’s direct connectivity and with penetration of Indian carriers things will change,” said Kapil Kaul, South Asia CEO of CAPA India. 

Competition will increase further with Air India Express also looking to start operations to Thailand and Akasa Air looking to expand its service to more countries from present Qatar and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. SpiceJet on October 28 announced two flights connecting Delhi to Phuket, Thailand. It already flies to four international destinations and has additional traffic rights for 17 international destinations. 

“The demand for international travel is strong and we are exploring new markets and continue to add destinations,” IndiGo’s Chief Executive Officer Pieter Elbers said in a post-results conference call on October 25. 

IndiGo flies to over 80 international destinations across Europe, Australia and the US, including direct and code-share connections. 

Indian airlines could log a CAGR of 14-15% in the international market over the next four fiscals, taking their market share to 50% with Air India, IndiGo, Akasa and SpiceJet having new aircraft orders, including wide-body aircraft for long and ultra-long haul flights.