Indian Carriers Cancel Over 3,000 International Flights In March 13 Times More Than February

2026-04-09 02:20:20

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Indian carriers cancelled 3,025 flights out of a total of nearly 16,000 international trips in March, which was a massive 13 times more than the cancellations in the previous month, according to a leading aviation analytics platform.

The largest hit was taken by Air India Express, which cancelled 1,215 flights (half its total scheduled international flights) in March.

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SpiceJet cancelled over 55 per cent of its international flights, said the report by Cirium, cited by Indian media.

IndiGo cancelled about 10 per cent of its 7,432 international flights scheduled in March, while Air India cancelled 13 per cent, compared to just two per cent in February.

India's two largest carriers, IndiGo and Air India group, collectively slashed over 310,000 of their seat capacity in the India-Gulf sector in March over the previous month's figures, said the report.

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Asangba Chuba Ao, the joint secretary in the Indian Ministry of civil aviation, had earlier told the media that Indian carriers' daily flights to the Middle East (both ways) had come down from 300-350 daily to 80-90. Indian carriers cancelled over 10,000 flights since the start of the Gulf war on February 28, he added.

Flights to Europe and North America by Indian carriers had to take longer routes, sharply increasing travel time and associated costs, noted Ao. This led to "unprecedented disruption in global aviation networks and international connectivity,” he said.

Temporary relaxation

India's Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has now granted temporary relaxation in flight duty time limitations (FDTLs) for pilots operating long-haul flights to tackle operational disruptions and pilot shortages.

Permissible flight time and duty periods have been extended, allowing airlines to manage longer routes because of airspace restrictions and geopolitical tensions. The relaxation is valid till April 30, after which the government will review it.

“It is an evolving situation and taking into consideration what happens in coming days, this dispensation will be relooked at. If required, we will take the necessary call at that point of time," Ao added.

Referring to aviation turbine fuel, he noted that the rates – which have flared globally – have been calibrated in India with only a portion of the increase being passed on to the domestic sector. "Government intervention on the price of ATF, which constitutes around 40 per cent of an airline's operating cost, has ensured that domestic airfares remain stable," he said.

The Indian government has also allowed international airlines to operate passenger aircraft for cargo services to maintain the supply chain, ensuring seamless continuity of critical cargo movement, despite the disruptions, said Ao.