Tag Archives: Indian carriers

Aloke Singh, MD, Air India Express, said Indian carriers’ capасity is set to outpace demand, potentially leading to lower fares. The airline will add about 15 aircraft in the 2025-26 fiscal year. This 45% capacity increase is expected to raise monthly passenger numbers to 2.5 million from 2 million next year.

India has emerged as the global leader in the low-cost carrier market. Data from OAG revealed that LCCs, primarily IndiGo, account for 71% of India’s total airline seat capacity, surpassing the global average of 34%. In contrast, aviation giants like China rely on full-service carriers.

CAPA India’s preliminary estimates for the near-term impact on the Indian industry states that as a result of the significant reduction in flying, Indian carriers may initially ground around 150 aircraft (including almost all of the international fleet), with this number expected to increase as more domestic operations are curtailed over the coming weeks. Based on the latest cancellations, international capacity is currently estimated to be down by 60-70 per cent year-on-year, although the situation is evolving on a daily basis. India has banned entry by all foreign nationals (with some very limited exceptions) until at least April 15, 2020. Foreigners account for around 25 per cent of international air travellers to/from India. However, India has also blocked the entry of its own nationals from the European Union and several other countries, and has advised its citizens not to travel overseas. If the decline in traffic continues to be severe, the majority of the fleet could be grounded by April.