India's travel boom: How Maha Kumbh and wedding season sparked record air traffic

But the Maha Kumbh, and an unusually long wedding season, have upended that maxim this year, making this three-month period as busy a season as any for tour planners, hoteliers, as well as airlines alike.

Data from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) showed Indian carriers ferried 14 million passengers on the domestic sector in February- barely 6% fewer than what they did in the festive month of December.

«It was a much stronger February. This could be deduced from the fact that 500,000 passengers domestically flew every day, which is an all-time high. The Maha Kumbh was a significant driver for the uptick,» said Anil Parashar, executive director, ITQ Technologies, a travel technology platform.

«In March, we are seeing some pressure on yields and loads. March might slip on the numbers month on month, but will still be significantly higher compared with last year.»

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The six-week-long Mahakumbh, which began mid-January, concluded toward the end of February. Airline executives said normally demand for travel ebbs after the year-end festive high. But this year growth is robust and at remunerative rates, likely boosting profitability, they said.

Executives said that some of the routes are operating at 100% capacity, resulting in demand spillage, meaning there is excess demand that cannot be accommodated due to capacity constraints.

Traffic to Prayagraj airport showed a sharp uptick, with the facility handling more than 100 flights per day through the Maha Kumbh. Nearby aviation facilities