Curious to know which airlines won the hearts of most Skyscanner users in India for travel in 2017? Here is the list:
- IndiGo
- Air India
- SpiceJet
- GoAir
- AirAsia
- Vistara
India is an ever-growing market for air travel. Each year, the number of travellers taking flights for both business and leisure purposes is only rising. Flights are becoming increasingly accessible now with fares being far from exorbitant. So, the competition in the airline space is massive. Airlines are constantly trying to improve their services, punctuality and reach to capture a greater piece of the market share. We have curated a list of the most preferred airlines of Skyscanner users across India to travel in 2017. Read on.
1. IndiGo
India’s most loved low-cost carrier IndiGo is also the largest one in the country on the basis of the number of passengers using it. It owns the highest market share in the Indian airline market – 39.6% in 2017. IndiGo, with its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, is the seventh largest carrier in Asia with over 46 million passengers in 2017. The airline flies its travellers to 50 domestic and international destinations through its 1,000 flights daily. Don’t expect free meals, business class seating, in-flight entertainment or any other frills while travelling by IndiGo. However, what you will enjoy the most is the airline’s low fares and punctuality – both the qualities it is known for.
Read more: The list of budget airlines you must know
2. Air India
Aah! Air India. This list of the top airlines in the country is incomplete without India’s flag carrier airline. This government-owned airline serves over 90 locations, both domestic and international. It is the third largest domestic airline in the country in terms of passengers and had a market share of 13.3% in 2017. With its hub at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, Air India operates its domestic and Asian destination flights through its subsidiaries – Alliance Air and Air India Express. The airline provides ample in-flight entertainment, premium lounges at almost all the metro cities in India and a frequent flyer programme called Flying Returns.
3. SpiceJet
Competing closely with Air India for market share is Gurgaon-headquartered low-cost airline SpiceJet. With a market share of 13.2% in 2017, SpiceJet operates over 300 flights to around 40 destinations in India and around the world. Its hubs include Delhi and Hyderabad. The airline, which is consistently expanding its fleet, is trying to move away from the ‘low-cost’ tag by offering premium services to its travellers through its SpiceMax programme. So, be ready to be pampered with some extra legroom, complimentary meals and quick check-in if you pay more. However, the airline has no in-flight entertainment or frequent flyer programme.
4. GoAir
Headquartered in Mumbai, GoAir is a low-cost carrier that operates over 140 flights every day to 20 plus Indian cities. Its market share was around 8.4% in 2017. The airline, known for its cautious approach towards expansion, has multiple hubs across the country: Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Bangalore and Kolkata. Even though GoAir is a low-cost airline, it has its own frequent flyer programme called Go Club. It also provides travellers an option of booking premium seats through its Go Business service where they can enjoy complimentary meals, priority check-in, extra legroom and increased baggage allowance. Sounds cool, doesn’t it?
Read more: Travel website for comparing and finding cheap tickets
5. AirAsia India
This newbie in the low-cost airline space in India is a joint venture between AirAsia Berhad and Tata Sons. It started its services in 2014 and is the first foreign airline company to set up a subsidiary in India. Headquartered in Bengaluru, this airline had a market share of around 3.7%. AirAsia India operates over 100 flights daily to over 20 destinations across India. It is said that the airline, which has its hubs at Bengaluru and Delhi, is planning to expand its fleet and fly international soon. Since AirAsia India entered the already competitive low-cost carrier sector in the country, airfares have only become more affordable.
Curious to know how you can book the cheapest air tickets with these airlines? All you need to do is sign up for Price Alerts on our website. The dynamic Price Alert tool scans prices real time and notifies you whenever the price of your desired flight increases or decreases. Book your flights, hotel or rent a car with Skyscanner today. You can do all of these on our award-winning travel app too!
