Latest Indian Government statistics show the country's domestic passenger market shrunk 11% in May.

The civil aviation minstry statement says India's airlines carried 3.9 million passengers, up from 3.3 million passengers carried in April.

Kingfisher retained the number one position it assumed in April, carrying 1 million passengers for 26% marketshare.

Jet Airways/Jetlite was again in second with a combined 912,000 passengers and 23% marketshare. Air India remained a distant third, with just 690,000 domestic passengers for 18% market share.

Other carriers mentioned were Spice Jet with 496,000 passengers (13%), Paramount with 82,000 (2%), Go Air with 188,000 (5%), and IndiGo with 540,000 (14%).

Load factors were generally higher across the board. Paramount, which operates Embraer regional jets, had 89%, Indi Go 85%, Go Air 84%, Spice Jet 79%, Jet Lite 77%, Kingfisher 73%, Jet Airways 69%, and Air India 69%.

Source: Air Transport Intelligence news