According to industry and airline sources, IndiGo has cut domestic departures from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, while increasing international frequencies from hubs such as Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. The additional overseas services are focused largely on destinations in West Asia as regional airspace restrictions ease gradually.
Hyderabad has seen one of the steepest reductions among major metros, with domestic departures expected to decline by nearly 15-17%. The city is likely to witness 30-35 fewer daily departures during June compared with earlier schedules. IndiGo has suspended flights to Agra and Kanpur for now, while routes such as Ayodhya have seen frequency cuts.
Bengaluru is expected to see around 28-30 fewer domestic departures daily. The airline has retained connectivity to smaller destinations such as Ayodhya and Agatti but reduced frequencies on larger trunk routes including Ahmedabad and Kolkata, sources said.
Chennai and Kolkata are also witnessing network rationalisation, with around 10-15 fewer daily departures expected from each airport. Industry sources said the Chennai-Coimbatore sector has seen some of the sharpest reductions, along with lower frequencies to Kolkata and Visakhapatnam.
Some direct services from Kolkata and Navi Mumbai to destinations including Goa-Mopa and Jharsuguda have also been suspended temporarily, according to people aware of the matter.
Even as domestic flying contracts, IndiGo has expanded overseas operations significantly. Mumbai, one of the carrier’s largest international gateways, has added around eight additional daily international departures to destinations including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dammam, Doha, Dhaka, Medina, Jeddah, and Jakarta.
Hyderabad has added international frequencies to Dhaka, Medina, Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Ras Al Khaimah, while Bengaluru has expanded services to Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Jeddah. Chennai has also added flights to Abu Dhabi, Doha, and Dubai.
An IndiGo spokesperson did not comment on the matter; however, industry executives said the changes suggest airlines are reallocating aircraft towards higher-yield international markets during the lean domestic travel season. July to September is typically a weaker quarter for domestic demand, prompting airlines to trim capacity by around 10%. However, sources said the reductions this year are steeper than normal, with IndiGo’s overall domestic network expected to contract by 10-15%, broadly mirroring wider industry trends.
People familiar with the matter said around 10% of the planned cuts have already been implemented, with affected passengers offered refunds or alternative bookings. Further reductions are expected to be rolled out over the coming days.
The network changes also come at a time when Indian airlines continue to grapple with fleet constraints and higher fuel costs while balancing domestic and international deployment. Air India recently announced another round of domestic and international frequency reductions, with more cuts expected across the sector.
