Air India Travel Update: By what percentage has Air India decided to reduce domestic flights between June and August 2026? What are the main reasons given by Air India for reducing flights? What facilities has Air India announced for the passengers whose travel will be affected by this decision?
ATF Price Hike (New Delhi): GiveAir India, one of India’s largest airline companies, has announced a reduction of up to 22% in its domestic flights. This decision will be applicable from June to August 2026. According to reports, the main reason behind this decision is the huge increase in the prices of Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) i.e. airplane fuel and increase in operational expenses. Just two weeks ago, Air India had announced a reduction of up to 27% in its international flights. Now after that this decision has been taken on domestic flights also. With this cut, the number of flights on some important routes connecting many big cities of the country will be reduced, due to which the options available to passengers will be limited.
Air India has said that between June and August, the frequency of flights (number of trips) is being reduced on some selected routes. The company has also made it clear that as soon as the situation becomes normal, the service will be restored to normal.
Air India has assured that passengers whose travel plans will be affected by this reduction, will be given seats in other flights, or they will be able to change the date of their journey without any charge. Apart from this, if the passengers wish, they can withdraw the full amount of the ticket. The company says that the purpose of these steps is to minimize the problems faced by passengers.
Political tensions in the Middle East, resulting restrictions on air routes and rising crude oil prices around the world are impacting the operating expenses of airline companies. According to statistics, about 40% of the total expenditure of Indian Airlines is spent only on fuel. At present, Air India operates about 4,400 flights every week. Of these, 3,600 are domestic and 800 are international flights. The company has said that despite the reduction in flights, it will maintain its strong presence in the domestic and international markets.
Aviation sector experts believe that due to reduced number of flights during the summer holiday travel season, passengers may have to face overcrowding and expensive tickets. It is estimated that until fuel prices and global conditions improve, airlines will continue to take such steps to save expenses.