India's Aviation Giants Trim Operations Amid Soaring Fuel Costs

India's leading airlines, IndiGo and Air India, have reduced their planned domestic flights in response to rising jet fuel costs due to the Iran war. With cuts of 7%-10% by IndiGo and 22% by Air India, this move may keep fares high and seat availability tight.

India's two prominent airlines, IndiGo and Air India, have dramatically scaled back their domestic flight schedules for June and July, industry insiders reveal. The aviation sector is currently grappling with escalating jet fuel prices triggered by the Iran conflict.

IndiGo has decreased its scheduled domestic flights by 7%-10%, while Air India has pulled back 22%, as these carriers collectively dominate roughly 90% of India's domestic air travel market. These significant reductions could reduce seat availability on certain routes and maintain elevated fares during the peak summer travel season.

Air India attributed these schedule adjustments to sustained high fuel prices, and assured customers of alternative flights, free date changes, or full refunds. Despite facing recent international route cutbacks and a $2 billion annual loss, Air India is closely monitoring the situation for possible frequency restorations.