Indian airlines to cut domestic summer flights by 10%
What's the story
Indian airlines are set to reduce their domestic flight operations by 10% in the upcoming summer schedule, which starts on March 29 and ends on October 24. This means a drop from 25,610 weekly flights last year to about 23,049 weekly flights this year. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released the schedule for nine scheduled airlines, including Air India, IndiGo, and SpiceJet. The others are Air India Express, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, FLY91, Star Air, and IndiaOne Air.
Schedule details
Airline-wise domestic summer schedule
The DGCA has published the airline-wise domestic summer schedule for 2026 on its website. However, it hasn't provided a consolidated figure or comparison with previous schedules. The current winter schedule runs from October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026, with airlines expected to operate 26,495 weekly flights. But due to operational disruptions at IndiGo in early December, the DGCA had cut the carrier's winter schedule flights by 10%.
Operational challenges
Potential for further reductions
The ongoing West Asia conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has severely affected Indian carriers' flight services to the region. The schedule was mostly prepared in January and February when there were no risks related to this conflict. Now, operational complexities have increased significantly due to the changed scenario. Airline executives have indicated that further reductions in the existing summer schedule could be possible amid these uncertainties.