Indian airlines, including major players like Air India, IndiGo, and Air India Express, are planning to scale back their domestic flight operations starting in June. This move comes as they grapple with rising fuel prices, decreased travel demand, and regional tensions that have significantly increased operational costs. Air India, in particular, is set to cut around 22% of its domestic flights temporarily as part of a network rationalisation effort. This adjustment follows a previous reduction of about 27% in its international services.
The decision by Air India aims to mitigate the ongoing impact of high aviation fuel costs and challenging operational conditions. Currently operating approximately 3,600 domestic flights weekly, the airline has assured that affected passengers will be provided with alternative travel options, including flight changes, date adjustments, or refunds when necessary. Air India Express, another player in the market, will also see some reduction in its domestic services, although the overall impact is expected to be less than 10% of its network. The airline maintains that it will continue expanding services on selected domestic and international routes, while strategically aligning capacity with demand.
Air India Express operates over 3,000 flights weekly, with around 500 services connecting India to West Asia. Meanwhile, IndiGo is anticipated to decrease its domestic operations by approximately 10% to 13% compared to the previous quarter, according to industry sources. These reductions reflect the broader trend among Indian airlines as they adjust to the current economic climate.
The increase in aviation turbine fuel prices is largely attributed to ongoing tensions in West Asia, which have posed significant challenges for Indian carriers. Additionally, the continued closure of Pakistani airspace to Indian airlines has led to longer flight routes and extra costs, further complicating operations. Industry experts suggest that airlines will likely continue to monitor fuel prices and passenger demand closely before deciding to restore their flight frequencies to previous levels.