Tonne-kilometers of air freight in India
India: Tonne-kilometers of air freight was 1.81 billion million ton-km in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
1.81 billion million ton-km
Change on year
up 23.6%
World rank
20th
of 180 countries
All-time high
2.70 billion million ton-km
in 2018
All-time low
96.30 million million ton-km
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023
Tonne-kilometers of air freight in India, 1970–2023
Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in million ton-km.
Analysis
The most recent figure for tonne-kilometers of air freight in India is 1.81 billion million ton-km, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.6% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, tonne-kilometers of air freight in India peaked at 2.70 billion million ton-km in 2018 and was at its lowest, 96.30 million million ton-km, in 1970.
That places India 20th out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Tonne-kilometers of air freight in India, year by year
| Year | million ton-km | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 96.30 million million ton-km | — |
| 1971 | 108.40 million million ton-km | +12.6% |
| 1972 | 131.10 million million ton-km | +20.9% |
| 1973 | 176.50 million million ton-km | +34.6% |
| 1974 | 144.70 million million ton-km | -18.0% |
| 1975 | 211.30 million million ton-km | +46.0% |
| 1976 | 250.70 million million ton-km | +18.6% |
| 1977 | 275.90 million million ton-km | +10.1% |
| 1978 | 297.70 million million ton-km | +7.9% |
| 1979 | 297.60 million million ton-km | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 366.00 million million ton-km | +23.0% |
| 1981 | 411.40 million million ton-km | +12.4% |
| 1982 | 409.90 million million ton-km | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 461.60 million million ton-km | +12.6% |
| 1984 | 545.50 million million ton-km | +18.2% |
| 1985 | 489.70 million million ton-km | -10.2% |
| 1986 | 539.70 million million ton-km | +10.2% |
| 1987 | 645.20 million million ton-km | +19.5% |
| 1988 | 646.30 million million ton-km | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 680.60 million million ton-km | +5.3% |
| 1990 | 662.90 million million ton-km | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 493.10 million million ton-km | -25.6% |
| 1992 | 429.40 million million ton-km | -12.9% |
| 1993 | 372.40 million million ton-km | -13.3% |
| 1994 | 563.60 million million ton-km | +51.3% |
| 1995 | 653.90 million million ton-km | +16.0% |
| 1996 | 565.00 million million ton-km | -13.6% |
| 1997 | 528.00 million million ton-km | -6.5% |
| 1998 | 531.30 million million ton-km | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 531.20 million million ton-km | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 547.65 million million ton-km | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 515.37 million million ton-km | -5.9% |
| 2002 | 546.34 million million ton-km | +6.0% |
| 2003 | 579.85 million million ton-km | +6.1% |
| 2004 | 708.48 million million ton-km | +22.2% |
| 2005 | 774.04 million million ton-km | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 842.55 million million ton-km | +8.9% |
| 2007 | 967.68 million million ton-km | +14.9% |
| 2008 | 1.23 billion million ton-km | +27.5% |
| 2009 | 1.24 billion million ton-km | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 1.63 billion million ton-km | +32.0% |
| 2011 | 1.70 billion million ton-km | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 1.58 billion million ton-km | -7.3% |
| 2013 | 1.73 billion million ton-km | +9.8% |
| 2014 | 1.85 billion million ton-km | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 1.83 billion million ton-km | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 1.89 billion million ton-km | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 2.41 billion million ton-km | +27.1% |
| 2018 | 2.70 billion million ton-km | +12.3% |
| 2019 | 1.94 billion million ton-km | -28.3% |
| 2020 | 875.12 million million ton-km | -54.8% |
| 2021 | 907.93 million million ton-km | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 1.46 billion million ton-km | +61.0% |
| 2023 | 1.81 billion million ton-km | +23.6% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 1.81 billion million ton-km is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.64 million million ton-km, 320.6× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- India's 1.81 billion million ton-km is above the median for South Asia, which is 64.15 million million ton-km, 28.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 199.02 million million ton-km | 96.30 million million ton-km | 297.70 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 1980s | 519.59 million million ton-km | 366.00 million million ton-km | 680.60 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 1990s | 533.08 million million ton-km | 372.40 million million ton-km | 662.90 million million ton-km | 10 |
| 2000s | 795.11 million million ton-km | 515.37 million million ton-km | 1.24 billion million ton-km | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.93 billion million ton-km | 1.58 billion million ton-km | 2.70 billion million ton-km | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.26 billion million ton-km | 875.12 million million ton-km | 1.81 billion million ton-km | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
More reference data data for India
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 68.88 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 246.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 70.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 309.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,063 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 85.03 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is tonne-kilometers of air freight in India?
- Tonne-kilometers of air freight in India was 1.81 billion million ton-km in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest tonne-kilometers of air freight recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 2.70 billion million ton-km in 2018.
- What is the lowest tonne-kilometers of air freight recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.30 million million ton-km in 1970.
- How does India rank for tonne-kilometers of air freight?
- India ranks 20th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is tonne-kilometers of air freight rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Tonne-kilometers of air freight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Air freight is the volume of freight, express, and diplomatic bags carried on each flight stage (operation of an aircraft from takeoff to its next landing), measured in metric tonnes times kilometers traveled.