The broader conflict in West Asia, the largest international market for Indian carriers, has forced a sharp reduction in daily flights relative to the summer schedule.
Due to airspace restrictions resulting from the conflict in the Middle East, Indian domestic carriers have cancelled 278 international flights. Some airlines are operating limited services and special flights to assist stranded passengers.
Indian airlines are expected to cancel 444 international flights due to airspace restrictions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran by Israel and the US. The civil aviation ministry is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines to ensure passenger safety and minimize disruptions.
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 support will be provided to oil-marketing companies (OMCs) in the form of interest-free advances through the ministry of petroleum and natural gas. The OMCs, in turn, will use the fund to provide ATF price stabilisation support to Indian carriers operating domestic and international flights.
Parents of Kashmiri students studying in Iran have appealed to the Indian government to evacuate their children due to ongoing tensions and protests in the country. They cite difficulties in communication and travel arrangements.
Indian airlines are resuming normal services to Kathmandu after the airport reopened following unrest in Nepal. Air India and IndiGo will operate additional flights to bring back stranded passengers.
Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet have told the government that the country's airline industry is under extreme stress and on the verge of "stopping operations", as they sought revision in ATF pricing and financial support.
The government has suspended its directive requiring airlines to offer at least 60% of seats on flights without additional charges, following industry concerns about the impact on fares and pricing structures.
Indian wedding bookings to Sri Lanka are projected to grow 20-25 per cent annually over the next few years.
An Air India flight from Delhi to Amritsar briefly entered Pakistan airspace during a go-around manoeuvre at Amritsar airport. India's aviation regulator, DGCA, has taken interim action against an air traffic controller and the operating crew for failing to report the incident, which is now under internal investigation by Air India.
The operations of many global carriers, including Qatar Airways, have also been impacted due to the airspace curbs in the wake of the Middle East tensions.
Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has secured type certification from India's aviation regulator, DGCA, for three of its commercial jets (E195-E2, E190, and E195). This approval, alongside an existing certification for its E175 jet, paves the way for Embraer to expand its presence in India's regional aviation market, supported by a strategic MoU with Adani Defence & Aerospace for a Final Assembly Line in Dholera, Gujarat.
IndiGo, India's largest airline, has placed a record-breaking order with CFM International for over 1,000 LEAP-1A engines to power its 510 Airbus A320 neo family aircraft. This significant deal, announced at the Farnborough International Airshow, also includes extensive MRO support and material services, reinforcing CFM's commitment to the Indian aviation market.
'We may be able to wind back some of the schedule reductions we'd taken in recent months.'
Akasa Air, despite facing headwinds from the West Asia conflict and rising aviation turbine fuel prices, expects to maintain a 30-40 per cent growth trajectory over the next five years and aims for an initial public offering (IPO) within two to four years, according to CFO Ankur Goel.
Yuvraj Sandhu, competing on the DP World Tour for the first time, delivered an impressive opening round of 3-under 69 at the Turkish Airlines Open, placing him within the Top-10. Shubhankar Sharma also performed well, finishing with a 2-under 70. Sweden's Mikael Lindberg leads the tournament after a bogey-free 66.
Airports across the country have been placed on operational alert to manage potential flight diversions, unscheduled landings and passenger facilitation requirements.
'CORSIA has set impossible targets. It tries to limit countries to the emission levels of the number of aircraft that they had in 2020. That has to be opposed.'
Indian airlines are likely to face additional weekly expenses of Rs 77 crore for international flights operated from north Indian cities as the airspace curbs result in increased fuel consumption and longer flight duration. An analysis of the number of overseas flights and back-of-the-envelope calculations based on increased flight time as well as approximate expenses by PTI showed that the additional monthly operational costs could be over Rs 306 crore.
Airfares to Southeast Asia have surged 25 to 30 per cent, driven by high demand and limited airline seat capacity.
Under the proposal, if a foreign carrier does not operate flights to a particular Indian airport for 'four consecutive IATA seasons', the regulator may suspend that airport authorisation.
India has extended the ban on Pakistan planes from using its airspace until May 24, continuing a measure in place since April 2025 following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Adani Group and Brazilian aerospace firm Embraer have selected Dholera, Gujarat, as the location for a final assembly line for Embraer's regional jets. This strategic collaboration, formalised by an MoU in January, aims to boost India's Regional Transport Aircraft programme and align with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative and UDAN scheme. Embraer sees immense potential in the Indian market across various aviation segments.
Indian carriers have cancelled over 10,000 flights since the onset of the West Asia conflict, as escalating tensions and airspace restrictions disrupted international operations, a senior government official said.
An Indian-origin groom and a pilot have died in a helicopter crash in Georgia shortly after the groom's wedding. The bride survived and is receiving treatment.
India's aviation sector is facing fresh turbulence, with rising fuel costs, the Ministry of Civil Aviation's free-seat directive, and geopolitical disruptions in West Asia clouding near-term earnings visibility.
Air India has deferred annual salary increments for its staff by at least one quarter and urged a "relentless focus on costs" due to external headwinds like the closure of Pakistan airspace, West Asia conflict, rupee depreciation, and a significant surge in aviation turbine fuel prices, though the airline has assured there will be no layoffs.
Not a single retail outlet ran dry. Every household that wanted a cylinder got one. India faced neither a 1991 moment nor a 2013 one. Macroeconomic stability held. This was not an accident, and it was not luck alone. It was the work of a government that chose to act as it had during the pandemic -- deliberately and gradually, building one measure upon another rather than reaching for a single dramatic lever, explains V Anantha Nageswaran, chief economic advisor to the Government of India.
Jamco Interiors, a global supplier of aircraft cabin systems, has opened a Centre of Excellence (COE) in Pune. This strategic move aims to meet the increasing demand for advanced cabin interiors in India's rapidly growing commercial aviation market and leverage local engineering talent for global aerospace programmes.
'A lot of people feel there is pressure on the AAIB not to go against Boeing or GE -- both enormous American companies.' 'If the AAIB implicates Boeing or GE, it will impact their sales.' 'If their sales are impacted, jobs are lost in the United States. No government would willingly do that.'
IndiGo, Air India, and SpiceJet are opposing the government's directive to offer 60% of seats for free selection, arguing it will lead to increased airfares to compensate for lost revenue.
An Air India flight en route to San Francisco was compelled to return to New Delhi due to a technical malfunction, causing significant disruption to passengers.
Aviation fuel prices for domestic airlines remain unchanged, providing stability for local carriers, while commercial LPG and 5-kg cylinders see a significant rate hike due to rising international energy costs.
A potential US-Iran peace deal, expected to be signed on June 19, is anticipated to ease geopolitical stress and benefit various sectors, particularly in India, with analysts suggesting investors await finer details before making significant moves.
IndiGo has the lowest pilots-to-aircraft ratio among domestic airlines in India, according to data presented in Parliament. SpiceJet and Akasa Air have the highest ratios. Air India Express employs the most expat pilots.
Civil Aviation Minister K Ram Mohan Naidu highlights challenges in aircraft procurement due to global supply chain disruptions, impacting India's aviation sector growth and expansion plans.
Noida International Airport has officially commenced flight operations with an IndiGo flight from Lucknow making the inaugural landing, followed by a takeoff to Lucknow, carrying 172 villagers whose land was acquired for the project.
Pakistan has extended its airspace ban for Indian aircraft until January 23, 2026, continuing restrictions imposed after the Pahalgam attack. India has reciprocated with a similar ban.
Most Indian airlines recorded a rise in average flying hours per pilot after the Covid period.
