IndiGo has reclaimed the top position among Indian carriers on international routes in April, marking the third time in the first four months of 2026 that it has led the market. According to Mint reports, IndiGo operated 5,607 planes on international routes in April, which was 7%, or 385 departures more than the Air India group's 5,222. IndiGo carried 0.87 million passengers, while the Air India and Air India Express together carried 0.85 million during the month. This development signals a shift in momentum after the Air India group had emerged ahead of IndiGo in international passenger traffic for calendar year 2025. The overseas gains underscore IndiGo's growing advantage across markets, with the airline also extending its lead in the domestic segment by raising its market share to 65% in April, while the Air India group's share fell to 24.7%.
The government approved a ₹10,000 crore Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) Price Stabilisation Fund aimed at cushioning airlines from soaring jet fuel costs triggered by the West Asia crisis. According to government details, the benchmark ATF price has been fixed at ₹86.32 per litre for domestic operations and ₹104.49 per litre for international operations at the FOB level, excluding taxes and other charges. Taking Delhi as an example, the effective selling price under the arrangement would work out to around ₹115 per litre for both domestic and international operations. The move comes as fuel costs continue to weigh heavily on airline finances, with ATF accounting for roughly 40% of an airline's operating costs, making carriers particularly vulnerable to fluctuations in global oil and fuel markets. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw noted that the one-time budgetary support of up to ₹10,000 crore to oil marketing companies (OMCs) will help stabilise ATF prices for scheduled Indian airlines, with the scheme expected to be operationalised after modalities are finalised and participating carriers indicate their willingness to join.
The West Asia war, which began end-February, has weighed heavily on India's aviation sector, especially the international operations of airlines. According to Mint reports, Indian carriers flew less on international routes in March and April from a year ago, with total departures falling 37% to 11,508, as against 18,323, a year earlier. IndiGo's international departures were down about 30% from a year earlier, but the airline has weathered the disruption better than the Air India group, whose international operations shrunk by about 43% in the same period. Air India flew 23% fewer planes in April over last year, and Air India Express, which has a strong Gulf connectivity, slashed international departures by 68%. During the March quarter, around 18% of total capacity was affected by the West Asia conflict, with more than 160 daily international flights disrupted, though IndiGo has indicated that capacity recovered to roughly two-thirds of normal levels in May and expects full normalisation by the end of June. Officials said flight connectivity across the Gulf region continues to improve, with airspace in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain remaining open, while limited operations have resumed in several other countries in the region.
In an inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia crisis, the Ministry of External Affairs said India has facilitated the movement of 2,557 nationals out of Iran through land-border routes and continues to advise Indian citizens to avoid travel to the country. The ministry confirmed that one Indian national was killed and 13 others were injured in Wednesday's attack on Kuwait International Airport, with the injured undergoing treatment at hospitals in Kuwait. On the energy front, the government said no shortages of domestic cooking gas have been reported, with oil marketing companies delivering 1.43 crore LPG cylinders against bookings of 1.5 crore cylinders during the last three days. Under-recoveries on domestic LPG cylinders remain around ₹700 per cylinder despite measures to augment supplies and manage demand. The government also highlighted enforcement action against hoarding, with more than 1,880 raids conducted in the petrol and diesel segment during the last three days, leading to 18 FIRs, 13 arrests and the suspension of 457 fuel dealers.
InterGlobe Aviation reported a net loss of ₹2,536 crore for Q4 FY26 compared to a net profit of ₹3,068 crore in the same period last year. However, excluding the impact of foreign exchange and exceptional items, the company reported a net profit of ₹1,920.6 crore. Revenue increased just 1% to ₹22,438 crore in the reporting quarter compared to ₹22,152 crore year-on-year. EBITDAR declined 6% to ₹6,396 crore compared to ₹6,817 crore in the year-ago period, with EBITDAR margin standing at 28.5%, down from 30.8% YoY, while EBITDA margin was reported at 3.6% versus 27.5% in the corresponding quarter. Despite continuing external disruptions, during the year ended March 2026, IndiGo expanded its operations with capacity increasing by 9.5% YoY and total income growing by 6.4% to ₹89,513.4 crore.
