Religious Tourism Surge Lifts Private Jet Demand in 2025

Religious tourism is a key growth segment for private aviation, though demand remains seasonal and event-driven

- Daanish Anand

Private jet operators like JetSetGo and Club One Air are witnessing strong demand since the beginning of 2025 led by religious tourism. As per the latest Airports Authority of India (AAI) data, general aviation aircraft movements in January rose 43.3% from a year ago to 26,890. In February, movements of these non-military, non-commercial aircraft rose 13.9% to 27,360.

From April 2024 to February 2025, India saw 253,000 charter flight movements, up 19.7% on year. In the first two months of 2025, private jet firms saw robust demand due to the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

"Around 10% of our revenue in that period (Maha Kumbh) was linked to travel surrounding the religious event," said Kanika Tekriwal, founder and chief executive officer, JetSetGo. "Religious tourism has emerged as a strong growth driver, especially for helicopter operations. This segment has now become an integral part of our portfolio and is expected to grow further during upcoming events and pilgrimage circuits," said Rajan Mehra, CEO of Club One Air.