Foreign airlines gain ground as Indian carriers scale back international flights in first half of 2026
Squeezed by longer flight paths and rising expenses, Indian carriers trimmed overseas departures, ceding international passenger traffic to resilient foreign competitors.
Foreign airlines have increased their passenger numbers flying out of India in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to new data. Meanwhile, domestic carriers such as Air India and IndiGo have reduced their international flight operations and experienced a decline in market share. This shift can be attributed to several factors including higher costs resulting from the closure of the Pakistan airspace and rising jet fuel prices due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
Veteran journalist Abhishek Law, who has covered the aviation industry for Mint for 18 years, reports that the airline sector is a complex mix of aircraft, oil prices, geopolitical issues and executive strategies. Law's work involves translating technical jargon into understandable language for his readers.
Written by urgent.news from Live Mint's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
