Planning to fly home for Diwali? Brace yourself: Indian airlines have trimmed their flight schedules by about 6% compared to last year, mainly because running costs are way up.
With fewer seats and higher expenses, ticket prices have shot up too: one-way fares now cost as much as last year's round trips, making festive travel a lot tougher on the wallet.
IndiGo posts ₹1,880cr loss
It's not just about fewer flights.
Airlines are feeling the squeeze from all sides: domestic passenger traffic fell by 6.5% in September 2026, and even IndiGo (the country's biggest carrier) saw both capacity and passenger numbers dip.
Despite charging more per ticket, IndiGo still posted a massive ₹1,880 crore loss thanks to skyrocketing fuel prices and other financial headaches.
So if you're flying this Diwali, expect fewer options: steeper fares.