Indian carriers are scheduled to operate 7% fewer domestic weekly flights year-on-year (YoY) in June 2026, with services declining from 22,220 to 20,670, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium reviewed by Business Standard.
The cuts come as airlines grapple with rising aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, which account for roughly 40% of operating costs and a weakening rupee driven by the ongoing West Asia conflict. Aircraft leases and maintenance, being dollar-denominated, have also become costlier as the currency slides.
An airline executive told Business Standard that carriers are now pruning routes where profitability has sharply worsened, adding that June is already a lean travel period.
1 May 2026
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Worst-hit Airports
Hyderabad airport has recorded the steepest absolute drop, with weekly domestic services falling by 371, from 1,791 in June 2025 to around 1,420 in June 2026. Bengaluru airport is set to lose 293 weekly flights, while Goa Mopa airport will see a reduction of 106.
Among Adani Group-operated airports, Mumbai will shed 253 weekly domestic services and Ahmedabad 111. Airports Authority of India-run facilities are also affected; Chennai stands to lose 279 weekly flights, followed by Kolkata (191), Bhubaneswar (96), Kochi (84) and Varanasi (60).
In percentage terms, Cooch Behar faces the sharpest decline, from seven weekly flights to just one. Bathinda is expected to lose around 55% of its services, while Ghaziabad and Agra are each set to lose half their domestic connectivity. Tuticorin, Cuddapah, Jamshedpur and Kullu are all staring at cuts of over 40%.
Gulbarga, Gondia, Ludhiana, Kandla and Porbandar are set to lose all domestic services in June.
Airlines: Winners and Losers
Air India has taken the hardest hit among carriers, with weekly domestic flights dropping over 28%, from 3,696 to 2,655. SpiceJet is trimming services by around 13% and Air India Express by nearly 10%. IndiGo, the country's largest airline, will see a marginal decline, from 13,165 to 12,852 weekly flights.
The sole outlier is Akasa Air, which is expanding domestic operations by nearly 11%, from 992 to 1,099 weekly flights, defying the industrywide trend.
