Air India and IndiGo are significantly reducing their domestic flight operations for the next three months, starting June 1, reports claimed. This could effectively further increase airfares for domestic fliers. However, the airlines have clarified that no routes will be completely suspended.
As per reports, Air India is planning to reduce its domestic flights by about 15%. IndiGo, the country's largest airline, is expected to cut its domestic services by 5% to 7%, News18 said in a report.
The main reasons for this are the expected decline in travel demand after school holidays, hiking Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) rates, and skyrocketing costs, the report added. The war in the Middle East is not helping either.
According to available information, India's four largest airlines operated approximately 6% fewer flights in March and April this year compared to the previous year. IndiGo reduced its flights by 4.5%, and Air India by 7.5%. Air India Express flew 17.1% fewer flights during this period, News18 said.
Another report added that ATF prices have now exceeded ₹1 lakh per kilolitre in many cities—a stark increase from the previous rates of around ₹80,000. Varying VAT rates in different states have further increased the cost pressure on airlines. This is why airlines are now finding it uneconomic to operate flights on routes with fewer passengers.
Flights are likely to be reduced on several routes from major airports like Mumbai and Delhi. Flights from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Patna, and Bhopal may be affected. Flights from Delhi to Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata may also see a reduction, Live Hindustan said in a report.
To avoid last-minute inconvenience to passengers, many flights have already been removed from booking websites.