New Delhi– Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on Friday said that India’s aviation sector has continued with its healthy performance in passenger traffic growth in August.

“The good performance continues in just released IATA August 2016 figures with India clocking 23.2 per cent growth against industry average of 4.3 per cent,” the minister tweeted.

The minister’s tweet came a day after the International Air Transport Association’s August traffic results showed that India’s domestic passenger traffic increased at the fastest pace amongst the major aviation markets in the world.

The minister in an earlier tweet on Friday said: “International Air Transport Association — Air Passenger Market Analysis — July 2016 establishes India’s Aviation Market to be in ‘top gear’.”

“As per IATA July’16 report, Indian aviation grows at almost 7 times the industry average (YOY).”

“And the good performance continues in just released IATA August 2016 figures with India clocking 23.2 per cent growth against industry average of 4.3 per cent,” the minister added.

On Thursday, the global airlines industry organisation had said that with a rise of 23.2 per cent, India’s domestic passenger traffic increased at the fastest pace amongst the major aviation markets in the world.

IATA pointed out that for August, India’s domestic revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) and available seat kilometres (ASK) grew at the fastest pace amongst the major aviation markets such as Australia, Brazil, China, Japan, the Russian Federation and the US.

According to the global airlines association’s August traffic results, India’s domestic RPK — a gauge that measures actual passenger traffic — rose by 23.2 per cent in the month under review, compared to the corresponding month of the previous year.

Data furnished by the IATA disclosed that India’s domestic passenger traffic growth was followed by that of China at 12 per cent, Japan at 1.9 per cent, Australia at 1.2 per cent and the US at 1.00 per cent.

However, Brazil reported a decline in its domestic passenger traffic at 6.3 per cent, followed by the Russian Federation at 2.7 per cent.

Similarly, India’s domestic ASK — which measures available passenger capacity — surged by 18.4 per cent during last month, followed by that of China at 10.5 per cent, the US at 3.7 per cent and Australia at 0.9 per cent.

“All markets reported demand increases with the exception of Brazil and Russia, with India and China reporting double-digit rises,” IATA said in its global passenger traffic data for August.

For the month under review, the association said that the global RPK in August had risen by 4.6 per cent, while the ASK climbed by 5.8 per cent. (IANS)