Overview
- The DGCA’s April report shows domestic passenger numbers fell 4.2% from March to about 13.8 million and were down 3.47% from April 2025, leaving January–April 2026 passenger volumes effectively flat at 57.549 million (up 0.06% year on year).
- Industry sources and the regulator say the slowdown reflects softer travel demand, rising operating costs driven by higher aviation turbine fuel and temporary network cuts by airlines.
- Market concentration increased as IndiGo expanded its share to 65%, while the Air India Group slipped to 24.7%, Akasa reached 5.8%, SpiceJet held 3.4% and Alliance Air was 0.3%.
- Passengers faced notable disruption: IndiGo topped on‑time performance at 88.5% while SpiceJet recorded 31.2%, 1.12% of flights were delayed by more than two hours, more than 135,000 travellers were affected by delays and 77,065 passengers experienced cancellations during April.
- The near‑term outlook depends on summer demand, fuel price moves and global connectivity from West Asia, and the sector is likely to see continued capacity discipline and fare pressure that will affect airline margins and traveller costs.