Seven of India's busiest airports and eight of its largest overseas markets experienced a sharp decline in departing seat capacity during June, according to data from OAG. The trend was mirrored in international travel, where eight of the country's top 10 overseas markets also saw capacity reductions during the month. Among airports, Hyderabad recorded the steepest decline in domestic departing seats, down 18.5 per cent, followed by Chennai (-16.6 per cent), Kolkata (-11 per cent), Ahmedabad (-10.9 per cent), Mumbai (-7.7 per cent), Bengaluru (-6.4 per cent) and Guwahati. Only Delhi, where seat capacity grew 8.9 per cent, along with Pune and Navi Mumbai, bucked the overall trend. Recent developments at Indore's Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Airport show similar challenges, with 292 flights and 31,144 passengers affected by ATF crisis and vacation season end, representing a monthly drop from 2,608 flights and 3,59,185 passengers in May.
Except for Germany and the UK, all other top 10 international markets posted capacity declines during June. The sharpest drop occurred on the India-United Arab Emirates route, where seats fell 15 per cent in June. Despite this decline, it remained the country's largest international market, with 960,000 seats. Other significant declines included Oman (-15.8 per cent), Malaysia (-15.4 per cent), Singapore (-12.3 per cent), and Thailand (-10.3 per cent). The Indore airport specifically faced challenges with its single international connection to Sharjah remaining non-operational for approximately four months, contributing to overall traffic decline.
The underlying fall in capacity was driven by sharp cuts by Air India and Air India Express, which, along with SpiceJet, reduced capacity by nearly 1.8 million seats last month. According to OAG data, Air India reduced capacity by 27.8 per cent in June, cutting more than 1.01 million seats year-on-year. Air India Express reduced seat capacity by 17 per cent, or about 463,000 seats, while SpiceJet cut 37,414 seats compared with June last year. The Travel Agents Association of India attributes these cuts to escalating geopolitical tensions driving up global fuel prices, forcing commercial airlines to scale back capacity and increase air fares.
Among Indian carriers, Akasa Air emerged as the standout performer, adding 97,000 seats across domestic and international departures — the highest increase by any Indian airline in June. IndiGo added 160,120 seats, though its percentage growth was lower given its much larger base. Akasa Air is positioned as a carrier to watch as it steadily expands its network and flight frequencies, making it a significant player in the competitive Indian aviation market. Looking ahead, Indore airport is projected to recover following the scheduled launch of a new international route to Abu Dhabi on July 15, 2026.
