India Summer Flight Schedule 2026: Domestic Flights Drop by 12% Compared to Last Year

New Delhi, 30th March 2026: India’s summer aviation schedule, which came into effect on Sunday, features a noticeable reduction in domestic flights compared with last year, as aviation authorities adopted a cautious approach while approving airline plans.

According to officials familiar with the matter, the number of weekly domestic flights scheduled this summer is around 12 percent lower than the previous year. The decision was largely influenced by a conservative assessment of projections submitted by IndiGo, the country’s largest airline.

Sources said the airline had indicated plans to add aircraft at a rate of roughly one plane per week and had proposed additional flights accordingly. However, regulators asked the carrier to apply for new services only after the aircraft are inducted and the airline demonstrates adequate operational readiness, including availability of pilots and other resources.

Officials said the aviation authorities were keen to avoid a repeat of the situation seen in December last year, when operational challenges arose due to ambitious scheduling.

As a result, most airlines have submitted reduced domestic flight plans for the current summer compared with the previous year. Authorities indicated that the approved numbers may be revised later if airlines show the capability to operate additional services.

Last summer, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had approved around 25,610 weekly domestic flights, reflecting a 5.5 percent increase from the 24,275 flights scheduled in the summer of 2024. For the current season, the total number of weekly domestic flights is expected to be lower by nearly 3,000, or about 12 percent. IndiGo alone had operated a schedule of over 14,000 weekly domestic flights during last year’s summer season.

Industry observers say the bigger concern for airlines is not just the number of approved flights but the rising operational costs. Factors such as aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and the weakening rupee could significantly affect operating expenses and ticket pricing.

If airfares increase sharply due to higher costs, passenger demand may decline, reducing the need for additional flights. At the same time, financially weaker airlines could face difficulties sustaining operations under such cost pressures. The ATF price revision for April is expected to bring a notable increase.

In a separate development, aviation regulators have introduced new rules related to seat selection charges. Starting April 20, airlines will be required to keep at least 60 percent of seats on each flight free from seat selection fees.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has also directed airlines to ensure that passengers travelling on the same booking reference number (PNR) are seated close to one another wherever possible, preferably in adjacent seats within the same row. Airlines have been asked to maintain transparent seat allocation policies. The directive follows instructions issued by Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on March 18.