New Delhi: India’s domestic air passenger traffic declined 4.8 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, with airlines carrying around 1.20 crore passengers compared with 1.26 crore in the same month last year, according to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).

The decline came after domestic traffic touched a record monthly level of about 1.54 crore passengers in May. Industry data indicates that seasonal weakness and relatively high airfares contributed to the moderation in demand during July.

Despite the July decline, the overall passenger count for the first seven months of 2026 remained slightly higher than the corresponding period last year. Domestic airlines carried 984.03 lakh passengers between January and July, compared with 977.79 lakh during the same period in 2025, marking growth of 0.64 per cent.

The latest figures point to a softer phase for India’s aviation sector, although passenger volumes for the year so far continue to remain above last year’s levels.