Indian airlines, including major carriers like Air India, IndiGo, and Air India Express, are planning to scale back their domestic flight operations starting in June. This decision comes in response to rising fuel prices, decreased travel demand, and regional tensions that are driving up operating costs.
As part of a temporary network rationalization strategy, Air India will reduce its domestic flight frequencies by about 22%. This follows a recent reduction of around 27% in their international services. The airline cites the persistent high cost of aviation fuel and other challenging operational factors as reasons for these adjustments. Currently, Air India operates approximately 3,600 domestic flights each week and has assured affected passengers that they will be offered alternative flights, date changes, or refunds if needed.
Similarly, Air India Express plans to cut some of its domestic services, though the overall impact will be less severe, affecting less than 10% of its network. Despite these reductions, Air India Express continues to expand services on select domestic and international routes, making targeted adjustments to better align capacity with demand. The airline operates more than 3,000 weekly flights, including around 500 flights each week between India and West Asia.
IndiGo, another major player in the Indian aviation market, is also expected to reduce its domestic operations by 10% to 13% compared to the previous quarter, according to industry officials. The combination of increased aviation turbine fuel prices, which are linked to ongoing tensions in West Asia, and the extended closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian airlines, has contributed to elevated operational costs for Indian carriers.
Experts suggest that these airlines will need to closely monitor fuel costs and passenger demand before deciding to reinstate their flight frequencies. This careful approach reflects the broader challenges facing the aviation industry as it responds to fluctuating economic and geopolitical conditions.