New Delhi, Jet Airways India Ltd, the country oldest private airline, has registered a 53% increase in domestic passengers in December 2009 over the corresponding period the previous year, and a 28% increase in international traffic, chief executive officer Nikos Kardassis told Mint on Tuesday.

The numbers do not include traffic for JetLite India Ltd, the low-fare unit of the company.

The October-December period is considered peak season for domestic airlines.

Kardassis said the airline is also evaluating a proposal to reconvert at least two medium-sized planes from its low-fare brand Jet Airways Konnect to full-service Jet Airways brand. He attributed increase in passenger traffic to a combination of factors, including the introduction of Konnect, improved on-time performance of JetLite and its strategy to create New Delhi and Mumbai as major operational hubs for travel to and from India.

In a statement released to the media, the airline said that the average seat occupancy for international operations for December was at 84.9%, while domestic operations witnessed 78.2% for the same period.

JetLite has also registered 23.4% increase in passengers carried for December 2009.

Jet Airways shares rose by 1.15% on the Bombay Stock Exchange to close at Rs540.35 on Tuesday. The bellwether Sensex fell 0.59% to 17,422.51 points.

Notes to Editor

About Jet Airways

With over 65 destinations, Jet Airways connects a place every 5 minutes. Jet Airways has come a long way since its first flight in 1993. Its one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, and now its all set to change the way you fly - for the better! Jet Airways operates flights to 20 international destinations, offering you a better choice in the skies.

About Jet Airways Konnect

Jet Airways Konnect is Jet Airways new all economy and no-frills domestic airline service. It operates flights on key domestic routes like - Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Kolkata etc. Jet Airways and its all-economy, no-frills Jet Konnect service together operates over 300 flights daily. When you fly Jet Airways Konnect, you enjoy both, a world-class experience as well as low fares. This means, no compromise.

About JetLite

JetLite, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jet Airways India Ltd, was acquired by Jet Airways in April 2007. Positioned as a Value based Airline, JetLite promises to offer value for money, economical fares, Buy on board in-flight meals, in-flight shopping and much more.