Indian Airlines Cut Over 2,500 Flights Per Week In Summer Schedule Amid West Asia Conflict

Last Updated:March 26, 2026, 22:30 IST

During the 2025 summer schedule, there were 25,610 weekly flights, and in 2026, the number of services would come down by 2,561.

Indian airlines are set to operate 2,500 fewer flights per week during the summer schedule starting from March 29 as carriers cut capacity amid rising costs and uncertainty triggered by the West Asia crisis, according to reports.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) published the domestic flights summer schedule, which is from March 29 to October 24, for nine scheduled airlines. A senior DGCA official told news agency PTI that the airlines would be operating around 10 per cent fewer flights in 2026 summer schedule compared to the previous summer schedule.

During the 2025 summer schedule, there were 25,610 weekly flights, and in 2026, a 10 per cent reduction would mean the number of services would come down by 2,561. Accordingly, the total count will be around 23,049 weekly flights, according to an analysis.

The nine airlines that are to operate flights during the 2026 summer schedule are Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Alliance Air, FLY91, Star Air and IndiaOne Air. The DGCA has not provided a consolidated figure and comparison with the previous summer schedule or the ongoing winter schedule.

In the current winter schedule from October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026, airlines were to operate 26,495 weekly flights. However, the massive operational disruptions at IndiGo in early December had an impact and the DGCA had curtailed the carrier’s winter schedule flights by 10 per cent.

West Asia Chaos

The US-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28 has significantly disrupted oil and gas supplies, along with international travel. Airlines are scaling back capacity due to rising operational costs, and have also included fuel surcharges in domestic and international flights.

Against this backdrop, airline executives told PTI that there is a lot of uncertainty and there could be further reduction in the existing summer schedule itself. The schedule was mostly prepared in January and February, a period during which there were no risks related to the West Asia conflict.

In a statement, IndiGo, India’s largest airline, said it intends to start its domestic summer schedule with nearly 2,000 daily flights in April. " IndiGo’s international schedule was planned at similar levels to Winter, but the deployed scale will, of course, vary based on ongoing circumstances in the Middle East," it added.

(with inputs from PTI)

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