Major Indian airlines, including 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 surging fuel prices, a dip in travel demand, and escalating regional tensions, all of which have heightened operational expenses.
Air India is set to slash roughly 22% of its domestic flight schedules as part of a temporary adjustment strategy aimed at optimizing its network. This move follows a recent reduction of about 27% in its international flight offerings. The airline explained that these modifications are a strategic response to the relentless rise in aviation fuel costs and other challenging operational factors. Currently, Air India manages about 3,600 domestic flights per week and has assured affected passengers that they will be accommodated with alternative flights, date changes, or refunds, as applicable.
Similarly, Air India Express plans to trim its domestic services, although the impact is expected to be less than 10% of its overall network. Despite these cutbacks, the airline is continuing to expand its services on selected domestic and international routes, making adjustments to better match capacity with demand. Air India Express operates over 3,000 weekly flights, including approximately 500 weekly services between India and West Asia.
IndiGo, another major player in the Indian aviation sector, is anticipated to reduce its domestic flight operations by about 10% to 13% compared to the previous quarter, according to industry experts. This reduction is largely attributed to the increased costs driven by higher aviation turbine fuel prices, which are linked to ongoing tensions in West Asia. Additionally, Indian airlines have been grappling with longer flight routes and extra costs due to the persistent closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian carriers.
Industry analysts suggest that airlines will likely continue to keep a close watch on fuel prices and passenger demand before making any decisions about reinstating flight frequencies. The adjustments by these airlines underscore the broader challenges faced by the aviation industry in navigating economic and geopolitical headwinds.