Indian airlines are set to decrease their domestic flight operations starting in June due to escalating fuel prices, reduced travel demand, and regional tensions that have heightened operating costs. Air India, IndiGo, and Air India Express are among the major carriers making these adjustments. Air India plans to cut back roughly 22% of its domestic flights as part of a temporary strategy to streamline its network. This decision follows a recent reduction of about 27% in its international services.
The ongoing adjustments by Air India aim to mitigate the financial strain caused by consistently high aviation fuel costs and challenging operational conditions. The airline, which currently runs about 3,600 domestic flights weekly, has assured affected passengers that they will be offered alternative flights, the option to change travel dates, or refunds where applicable. Meanwhile, Air India Express will also trim its domestic services, though the reduction will be less than 10% of its network. Despite these cuts, the airline is focused on expanding select domestic and international routes to better align its capacity with demand.
Air India Express operates over 3,000 flights weekly across its network, including approximately 500 weekly services connecting India and West Asia. IndiGo is similarly expected to reduce its domestic operations by around 10% to 13% compared to the previous quarter, according to industry insiders. This trend among Indian airlines underscores the broader challenges they face amid rising operational expenses.
Increased costs stemming from higher aviation turbine fuel prices have been linked to the ongoing tensions in West Asia. Additionally, Indian airlines are incurring extra expenses and facing longer flight routes due to the continued closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian carriers. As a result, airlines are keenly monitoring fuel costs and passenger demand, with the possibility of restoring flight frequencies when conditions improve.