IndiGo will start non-stop bi-weekly flights connecting Gaya and Bangkok from Oct 26. The move aims to boost tourism and cultural ties. Meanwhile, domestic airlines saw 1.91% YoY growth, carrying 729.40 lakh passengers from Jan-May 2026.
IndiGo has announced the launch of non-stop, bi-weekly flights between Bihar’s Gaya and Bangkok, starting October 26. The new route will strengthen IndiGo’s growing India-Thailand network and provide a direct air connection between Gaya and Bangkok, two destinations linked by centuries of shared Buddhist heritage. The service is also expected to boost international connectivity from Bihar and support tourism, cultural exchange and economic development in the region.
Domestic Aviation Market Overview
Meanwhile, last month, India’s scheduled domestic airlines carried 729.40 lakh passengers during January to May 2026, registering a year-on-year growth of 1.91 per cent over 715.70 lakh in the same period last year. In May alone, carriers transported 153.90 lakh passengers, a robust 9.49 per cent month-on-month rise.
Airline Market Share in May
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IndiGo maintained its commanding position with a 64.9 per cent market share in May, carrying 99.91 lakh passengers. The Air India Group followed at 25.6 per cent (39.33 lakh passengers) while Akasa Air secured 5.8 per cent (8.90 lakh). SpiceJet, Star Air, Fly91, Alliance Air and Indiaone Air accounted for the remaining share.
Operational Efficiency and Reliability
Airlines operated with impressive efficiency in May. Akasa Air posted the highest passenger load factor at 92.5 per cent, followed by SpiceJet at 87.4 per cent, IndiGo at 86.4per cent, and Air India Group at 83.5 per cent. Alliance Air stood at 61.2 per cent and Indiaone Air at 53.5 per cent, as per the MoCA report.
The overall cancellation rate remained low at 0.55per cent. Akasa Air recorded the lowest rate at 0.14 per cent, while Indiaone Air had the highest at 5.58 per cent. Technical issues caused 45.1 per cent of cancellations, followed by operational reasons at 26.6 per cent and weather at 15.3 per cent.
On-time performance at ten major airports, Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Cochin, Guwahati and Lucknow showed wide variation. IndiGo achieved the best OTP among major carriers at 82.8 per cent while SpiceJet lagged significantly at 26.5 per cent. Akasa Air recorded 78.3 per cent and Air India Group 74.5 per cent.
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