From March 29th through October 24th, Indian airlines will operate a little over 23,000 domestic flights per week. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released the summer schedule for these dates, covering nine different airlines.
Summer schedule and the 10% cut
Last summer, airlines had around 25,610 weekly flights within the country. A 10% cut to this means about 2,561 fewer flights a week, and a total of approximately 23,049 weekly flights for the 2026 summer season.
The DGCA put each airline’s schedule on its website, but didn’t give a total number or directly compare it to last summer or the current winter schedule. Because of this, people who analyze the airline industry had to add up the numbers from each airline themselves.
The original plan for the current winter season was 26,495 weekly flights. However, one large airline had problems in December and cut 10% of its winter flights. This shows how quickly the whole industry’s schedule can change.
Drivers of the reduction: costs and conflict
Airlines say the main reason they are reducing the number of flights is that operating costs have gone up a lot. Things like fuel costs and changes in currency rates are making things more expensive, and airlines are changing their schedules to avoid losing money and to make sure they have enough money available.
The conflict in the Middle East, which began on February 28th, has also made flying internationally more difficult. Flights going into or over that region have been disrupted, creating problems with routes, flight crews, and insurance, and these issues are also impacting domestic flight planning.
Going around the Middle East adds to both flight time and fuel use. Also, when the times for flights (called slots) are changed, it throws off the schedules for the planes and the crews. All of these difficulties with operations mean there’s less time for the planes to fly within India, and may lead to even more changes to the schedule.
What airlines are planning and possible further cuts
Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Alliance Air, FLY91, Star Air, and IndiaOne Air are the nine airlines that will be flying during the summer. Each of them gave the DGCA its week-by-week schedule for each route in January and February.
One of the main airlines said it plans to have almost 2,000 flights a day within India in April as part of its summer schedule. It also said its international schedule is planned to be the same as it was in winter, but warned that the amount of international flying it does will change as the situation in the Middle East changes.
People who work in and regulate the airline industry say there may be even more cuts to the schedule. The schedule was made before the recent worsening of the political situation in the world, and airlines may reduce the number of flights again as the costs and safety concerns change.
Implications for passengers and the industry
When there are fewer flights each week, there are fewer seats available on popular routes, and this can cause airfares to increase, especially when many people are traveling. Less frequent flights can also make it harder to make connecting flights and make your trip longer if you need to transfer.
Smaller airlines that fly to regional destinations might both benefit and struggle: less competition could increase profits on some routes, but a shortage of planes could harm routes that aren’t already very profitable. The government regulators will need to keep an eye on what happens to make sure people can still get where they need to go and that there is still competition.
You should expect the schedule to change more frequently this summer. Choosing fares that let you change your booking easily, paying attention to messages from the airline, and giving yourself extra time to make connections will help if the airlines change their plans again because of costs or world events.
