Nowadays the media seems to have latched on to the point that "the Jet-Sahara combine accounts for 85% of the flights between Mumbai and Delhi". This seemed too high considering that Indian's flights had also to be factored in. Here is an analysis which appears to place more reasonable figures on the Delhi/Mumbai situation. Oddly enough, it 'pre-dated' the final announcement of the Jet-Sahara deal. The episode highlights the need to maintain suitable skepticism about the data which are so freely bandied about sometimes.
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm=lmn u5&leftindx=5&lselect=2&chklogin=N&autono=211731 Surajeet Das Gupta: Is the party over for the Indian flier? Surajeet Das Gupta / New Delhi January 16, 2006 <According to industry estimates, Jet Airways' market share has slipped from 44 per cent some time last year, to around 39 per cent now, thanks to some tough competition from both low-cost and full-service carriers. At the same time, Air Sahara, Air Deccan and new players such as Spicejet have gained market share. But the emerging equation in the skies could alter dramatically if the new combinations that are being worked out finally see the light of the day. For instance, Jet Airways and Air Sahara together lord over 53 per cent of the domestic air market - a figure Jet Airways did not manage to hit even in the mid-1990s when it faced competition from only the state-owned Indian Airlines. And if Air Deccan is added to the combine, the share climbs to 66-68 per cent. The dominance of Jet Airways and Air Sahara is more in prime markets such as Mumbai and Delhi that, in any case, account for over 30 per cent of the country's air traffic revenue. In Mumbai, for instance, industry estimates suggest that **during peak hours in the morning and evening, over 60 per cent of the departures are controlled by the two airlines. Similarly, 55 per cent of the peak hour departures in the morning in Delhi are from the two.** If you throw in Air Deccan, the numbers could be still higher. Of course, you could argue that most low-cost carriers operate only in non-peak periods so customers would still have enough choice. **But if you look at all the flights that depart from Mumbai and Delhi throughout the day, the share of Jet Airways and Air Sahara is between 43 per cent and 45 per cent.** Now look at it from a different perspective: infrastructure. The two carriers control a substantial portion of the parking bays in these cities, which is crucial as without these you cannot fly from these locations in the morning. In Mumbai, for instance, **over 60 per cent of the 49 parking bays are under their control, while the duo controls 50 per cent of the existing parking bays in Delhi.**>
