Except Delhi, flights at most Indian airports log drop: Data

India’s major airports operated significantly fewer flights in June and July than a year ago, with some recording declines of nearly 20%, as the prolonged conflict in West Asia disrupted international travel and forced airlines to cut or suspend some services.

Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium, reviewed by HT, shows that Chennai and Hyderabad recorded the steepest declines among the country’s major airports. Chennai saw flight operations fall 20% in June and 18.9% in July year-on-year, while Hyderabad recorded declines of around 20% in June and nearly 19% in July.

Mumbai, India’s second-busiest airport, also recorded a sharp fall, with flight operations declining 10.4% in June and 12.5% in July from the corresponding months last year. Kolkata recorded declines of 13.2% in June and 16.8% in July, while Bengaluru recorded year-on-year reductions of 11.7% and 10.1%, respectively.

The decline comes as airlines grapple with the impact of the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has disrupted airspace, increased flying times on several international routes and weakened demand for travel to key overseas destinations.

Indian carriers have also trimmed or suspended some international services in recent months because of operational challenges arising from the geopolitical situation.

Among the country’s six major metro airports, Delhi emerged as the only exception. Indira Gandhi International Airport recorded an 8% increase in flight operations in June and a 2.5% rise in July compared with the same months last year.

To be sure, Delhi serves as the country’s largest aviation hub, with a wider domestic network and a substantial share of connecting traffic, factors that may have helped cushion the impact.

“The weakness in flight operations highlights the wider impact of the West Asia crisis on India’s aviation sector, with airlines recalibrating schedules in response to changing demand and higher operating costs,” an airline official said on condition of anonymity.

“Airlines have substantially reduced their planned capacity for the first half (H1) of FY27 because operating costs have risen sharply, while passenger demand has weakened. As a result, the decline in flight numbers across airports is in line with expectations,” said Kapil Kaul, CEO of aviation consulting and research firm CAPA India.

Mark D Martin of Martin Consulting attributed the decline largely to slower international operations.

“The impact reflected in these figures is largely on international routes, particularly those affected by the closure of Iranian, Iraqi and parts of Israeli airspace, which increased fuel costs and flight times. Domestic operations remained largely status quo because the government had already softened the impact of higher fuel prices,” he said.

Neha LM Tripathi is a Special Correspondent with the National Political Bureau of Hindustan Times. She covers the aviation and railways ministries, and also writes on travel trends. Her work spans national developments, with a focus on policy, people, and the evolving travel landscape. She has 13 years of experience.