IndiGo trims metro domestic flights, adds overseas capacity

The country’s largest airline, IndiGo, has reduced domestic capacity across several metro airports from June and July while expanding international operations, particularly to Gulf and West Asian destinations, as carriers recalibrate networks amid softer domestic demand and rising operating costs.

According to industry and airline sources, the airline has cut domestic departures from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata, while increasing international frequencies from hubs such as Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. The additional overseas services are focused largely on destinations in West Asia as regional airspace restrictions ease gradually.

Hyderabad has seen one of the steepest reductions among major metros, with domestic departures expected to decline by nearly 15-17%. The city is likely to witness 30-35 fewer daily departures during June compared with earlier schedules. IndiGo has suspended flights to Agra and Kanpur for now, while routes such as Ayodhya have seen frequency cuts.

Bengaluru is expected to see around 28-30 fewer domestic departures daily. The airline has retained connectivity to smaller destinations such as Ayodhya and Agatti, but reduced frequencies on larger trunk routes including Ahmedabad and Kolkata, sources said.

Chennai and Kolkata are also witnessing network rationalisation, with around 10-15 fewer daily departures expected from each airport. Industry sources said the Chennai-Coimbatore sector has seen some of the sharpest reductions, along with lower frequencies to Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.

15/05/2026 Akbar Merchant/Financial Express