Facing increased operating costs due to rising fuel prices and geopolitical tensions, major Indian airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and Air India Express, are planning to scale back their domestic flight operations starting in June. These adjustments come as the airlines aim to manage the dual challenges of higher aviation fuel prices and fluctuating travel demand.
Air India is set to reduce its domestic flight frequencies by about 22% as part of a temporary network rationalization strategy. This move follows a prior reduction of around 27% in its international flight operations over recent months. The airline, which currently operates approximately 3,600 domestic flights weekly, has assured passengers affected by these changes that they will be offered alternative travel arrangements, date changes, or refunds.
Similarly, Air India Express will adjust its domestic services, cutting less than 10% of its network. Despite these reductions, the airline is continuing to expand its services on select domestic and international routes, aligning its capacity with current demand levels. Air India Express operates more than 3,000 flights each week, including about 500 weekly flights between India and West Asia.
IndiGo, another major player in the Indian aviation market, is also expected to cut its domestic operations by 10% to 13% compared to the previous quarter, as per industry sources. The airline’s decision is influenced by the increased costs stemming from high aviation turbine fuel prices, which are linked to ongoing regional tensions, particularly in West Asia.
Indian carriers are further burdened by the necessity of rerouting flights due to the ongoing closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian airlines. Industry analysts suggest that airlines will closely monitor fuel prices and passenger demand before deciding when to restore their flight frequencies to previous levels.