Air travel growth slows down in India for 2026
ICRA has dialed back its expectations for domestic air passenger growth in FY26, now predicting just 0-3% instead of the earlier 4-6%.
This comes after a pretty slow rise—passenger numbers grew only 2.2% from April to November 2025, hitting 10.96 crore.
November did see a bit of a jump though, with an 8.4% increase over last year.
Flight disruptions and cancelations take a toll
Travelers faced plenty of headaches this year, with flight cancelations linked to both global tensions and airline issues.
A notable Air India incident in June rattled some nerves, and IndiGo had to cancel about 4,500 flights in early December due to operational snags.
International travel and financial hits
It's not just domestic flights feeling the pinch—international traffic forecasts have also been cut to 7-9%, down from up to 15%.
Meanwhile, airlines are bracing for bigger losses than expected: industry net losses could hit ₹17,000-18,000 crore this year.