New Delhi: India’s smaller airlines are bearing the brunt of the West Asia conflict, with Air India Express, Akasa Air and SpiceJet reducing international departures by nearly 60% in April and so far in May, even as larger carriers IndiGo and Air India cut overseas departures by about 21% during the same period.
SpiceJet’s international departures fell 59% to 305 during April and May, while Akasa Air’s dropped 57% to 136 and Air India Express recorded a 56% decline to 1,818 departures, according to data compiled by UK-based aviation analytics firm OAG and reviewed by Mint.
In contrast, IndiGo and Air India saw comparatively smaller reductions of 21%, with departures falling to 6,574 and 4,059, respectively.
Taken together, international departures from India’s five largest airlines are down 30% in April and May to 12,892, with seat counts also down an identical 30% to 2.6 million, OAG data showed.
The sharpest reductions have been on West Asia routes — among the most lucrative overseas markets for Indian low-cost carriers. Air India Express had the highest exposure to the region in terms of daily departures from India, followed by SpiceJet and Akasa Air.
“Smaller airlines operate narrow-body planes on short-haul international routes, with Middle East (West Asia) destinations being the most lucrative. Since March, there has been a hit on these routes. Compared to larger players like Air India or IndiGo, the exposure of smaller players like Air India Express or SpiceJet to the Middle East is significantly higher, so the impact is larger,” said Gagan Dixit, senior vice president – aviation, chemicals, oil & gas analyst at Elara Capital.
“For large players, Middle East destinations are part of a broader international network. But for budget carriers, they account for a significant share of international operations,” he added.
Analysts said the disruption is being compounded by multiple cost and operational pressures beyond route concentration.
“While the conflict in West Asia has forced massive rerouting, the 55-60% decline for low-cost carriers such as Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa is a result of multiple factors, including high aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, airspace closures and Air India Express’s retrofitting programme,” said Karan Khanna, lead analyst for aviation at Ambit Capital.
Notably, Air India Express is undergoing a fleet retrofitting programme that has temporarily constrained aircraft availability, with the exercise expected to continue until mid-2026.
Since the West Asia war began, ATF prices have surged 94% to $1,511.86 per kl as of 1 May from $778.85 as of 28 February, according to data from fuel retailer Indian Oil Corp. Ltd. Restrictions over Iranian and Iraqi airspace have added 90-120 minutes to flight durations, while the closure of Pakistani airspace in April 2025 had already lengthened journeys for Indian carriers.
Khanna said smaller carriers were disproportionately affected because of their heavy reliance on Gulf routes, even as their larger peers can utilize planes better because of bigger fleets and a more global network. They also have better balance sheets and can absorb losses, he said.
Air India has also accelerated international route rationalization as rising fuel costs and longer flying times pressure profitability. OAG data reviewed by Mint show the airline has trimmed capacity across North America, West Asia, Southeast Asia and other Asian markets.
The Tata-backed carrier is operating 69% fewer flights to North America — down from 177 flights to 54 — in May compared with January, when cuts began to accelerate. It also reduced flying to Australia and the broader Southwest Pacific region, with scheduled departures down 35% over the same period to 46 from 62.
“While Gulf routes such as Dubai, Sharjah and Doha have seen the sharpest reductions, Indian airlines have also cut frequencies to Europe and North America,” Khanna said. “Air India has reduced frequencies to London, Paris, Frankfurt, New York and San Francisco, while IndiGo has lowered Delhi–Manchester flights from five per week to three.”
An IndiGo executive had previously told Mint that the airline had not initiated route cuts or reduced European flying because of the West Asia conflict. IndiGo is yet to respond to Mint’s queries for this story.
Air India, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa have also not responded to queries by Mint.
The outlook for international flying remains constrained over the next two months. “Departures are expected to remain flat or slightly lower than May levels as carriers wait for the geopolitical situation in West Asia to stabilise,” Khanna said.
Passenger traffic growth is expected to soften in the near term as international fares remain 20-40% higher than a year ago because of elevated fuel costs and longer routings, analysts said.