NEW DELHI, March 24 — India’s largest carrier, IndiGo, stated Tuesday that its international flight operations for the summer season will remain fluid as escalating conflict in the Middle East continues to drive up operating costs. The airline affirmed that if further cost escalations force airfares higher, passenger demand is likely to suffer a significant impact.
An IndiGo spokesperson noted that while the airline intends to launch its domestic summer schedule with approximately 2,000 daily flights in April, the international scale will be recalibrated based on the situation involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. The airline maintained that jet fuel expenses now account for roughly 40% of overall operating costs for Indian carriers. These expenses, combined with volatile foreign exchange rates and rising insurance premiums, have created what the carrier described as a “material escalation” in the current environment.
To mitigate these financial pressures, IndiGo has implemented fuel surcharges ranging from ₹425 to ₹2,300 on tickets since mid-March. The airline asserted that while these measures are necessary to compensate for rising expenses, any additional fare hikes required by the “extremely fluid” operating environment will inevitably affect traveler numbers. Other major players, including Air India and Akasa Air, have also introduced similar surcharges to manage the surge in fuel prices and disruptions caused by regional airspace curbs.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved the domestic summer schedule to run from March 29 through October 24. However, the airline declared that it would be closely monitoring the situation to adjust capacity as needed. This cautious approach follows a winter season marked by significant operational disruptions in December, leading to a more conservative scheduling strategy for the upcoming months.
