Airlines are cutting not only international services but also domestic flights, especially on routes projected to remain unprofitable in the coming weeks due to weak demand and high fares.
The rise in fuel prices and the sharp depreciation of the rupee due to the ongoing West Asia conflict -- which began on February 28 when Israel and the US conducted military strikes on Iran -- have impacted not just international flights but also the domestic services of Indian carriers.
Key Points
- Indian airlines are scheduled to operate 7 per cent fewer weekly domestic flights in June 2026 year-on-year.
- Rising fuel prices and rupee depreciation following the West Asia conflict have sharply increased airline operating costs.
- Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Mumbai airports are among the worst affected in terms of domestic service reductions.
- Air India recorded the steepest decline among major carriers, cutting domestic operations by over 28 per cent.
- Several smaller airports including Gulbarga, Gondia and Ludhiana are losing complete domestic connectivity this June.
Domestic Flight Cuts Deepen
Indian carriers are scheduled to operate 7 per cent fewer weekly flights year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in June, with services declining from 22,220 in June 2025 to 20,670 in June 2026, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium reviewed by Business Standard.
Among airports, the biggest fall -- in absolute terms, not percentage terms -- in domestic weekly services has been recorded at the GMR Group-run Hyderabad airport, where scheduled weekly flights are set to decline by 371 Y-o-Y.
According to Cirium, Hyderabad airport will handle around 1,420 weekly domestic services next month, down from 1,791 in June last year.
Another GMR-operated facility, Goa's Mopa airport, is also seeing a sharp reduction of 106 weekly domestic services during the same period.
Fairfax Financial Holdings-run Bengaluru airport is scheduled to see 293 fewer weekly domestic flights Y-o-Y in June.
Fuel Prices Pressure Airlines
Indian carriers are particularly vulnerable to high aviation turbine fuel prices, which account for around 40 per cent of their operating costs.
Aircraft leases and maintenance expenses are also dollar-denominated, meaning any strengthening of the dollar against the rupee further increases airlines' costs.
The ongoing West Asia conflict has triggered a sharp depreciation in the rupee and a steep rise in global crude oil prices.
An airline executive said Indian carriers are now cutting not only international services but also domestic flights, especially on routes projected to remain unprofitable in the coming weeks due to weak demand and high fares.
"June is already a lean period for airlines. Moreover, airlines are trying to save money wherever they can. Any route where profitability projections have sharply worsened after the rise in fuel prices and rupee depreciation is now seeing cuts in flights," the executive said.
Among Adani Group-operated airports, Mumbai airport is expected to lose 253 weekly domestic services, while Ahmedabad airport is set to see a reduction of 111 weekly domestic flights in June 2026 compared to the same month last year, according to Cirium's data.
Airports operated by the Airports Authority of India are also seeing substantial cuts.
Chennai airport is set to lose 279 weekly domestic flights in June 2026, followed by Kolkata (191), Bhubaneswar (96), Kochi (84), and Varanasi (60).
In percentage terms, Cooch Behar has recorded the steepest decline among airports that continue to retain some domestic connectivity.
The airport's weekly domestic flights are scheduled to drop from seven in June 2025 to just one in June 2026.
Bathinda is expected to witness a reduction of around 55 per cent in weekly services, while Ghaziabad and Agra are both set to lose half of their domestic flights Y-o-Y in June.
Tuticorin is likely to see a decline of about 44 per cent, while Cuddapah, Jamshedpur and Kullu are each expected to record reductions of nearly 43 per cent.
Ayodhya and Durgapur are also witnessing sharp double-digit declines in domestic connectivity, according to Cirium.
Air India Cuts Operations
Among airlines, Air India has recorded the sharpest reduction in domestic operations in percentage terms.
The Tata Group-owned full-service carrier is scheduled to operate 2,655 weekly domestic flights in June 2026, down from 3,696 in June 2025, marking a decline of over 28 per cent.
SpiceJet is expected to reduce domestic weekly services by around 13 per cent, while Air India Express is scheduled to cut flights by nearly 10 per cent.
IndiGo, the country's largest airline, is also set to trim domestic operations marginally, with weekly services falling to 12,852 from 13,165.
Akasa Air is the only major carrier expanding domestic operations despite the challenging environment.
The airline is scheduled to increase weekly domestic flights by nearly 11 per cent Y-o-Y, to 1,099 in June 2026 from 992 in June 2025.
None of the airport operators or airlines mentioned above responded to queries sent by Business Standard.
Smaller Airports Lose Connectivity
The impact of the ongoing conflict is even more severe for some smaller airports, which have completely lost domestic connectivity in June 2026 compared to June 2025.
Cirium data shows that Gulbarga and Gondia, which had seven weekly domestic flights each in June 2025, are scheduled to have no services this June.
Ludhiana, which earlier had six weekly flights, has also lost all domestic connectivity in June.
Kandla and Porbandar are similarly set to see a complete suspension of domestic operations in June.
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff
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