IndiGo overtakes Air India Group in international traffic after six-year gap

IndiGo has reclaimed the crown as India’s largest international carrier, surpassing the Tata Group-owned Air India entity for the first time in six years.

According to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for the July–September 2025 quarter, IndiGo transported 4.14 million international passengers. This narrowly edged out the Air India Group (comprising Air India and Air India Express), which carried a combined total of 4.10 million passengers.

The shift underscores IndiGo’s aggressive overseas expansion strategy, even as its full-service rival grapples with fleet constraints following a tragic operational setback.

Air India’s Capacity Crunch

While Air India has pursued rapid growth since privatization, its international capacity contracted sharply in Q3 following the crash of a Boeing 787 near Ahmedabad in June, which resulted in 260 fatalities. In response, the airline grounded a portion of its widebody fleet for safety audits, cutting international operations by roughly 15%.

Compounding the issue, the carrier has been forced to ground older aircraft for cabin retrofits while facing delivery delays from Airbus and Boeing due to persistent global supply chain bottlenecks.

IndiGo Protects International Routes

IndiGo’s ascent comes despite its own operational turbulence. The budget carrier was recently ordered by the Civil Aviation Ministry to cut its overall winter schedule by 10% to stabilize operations after cancelling over 4,200 flights in early December due to pilot rostering issues.

However, data indicates IndiGo has “ring-fenced” its lucrative international network. Between December 1 and 9, the airline cancelled only 2.4% of its international flights, compared to a massive 25% cancellation rate for domestic services.

Winter Schedule Dominance

Forward-looking data from analytics firm Cirium suggests IndiGo’s lead may widen. For the current winter schedule (October–March), IndiGo has ramped up international departures by 14.5% to 44,035 flights. Conversely, the Air India Group has trimmed its international schedule by 9% to 41,626 flights as it focuses on fleet consolidation.

The gap between the market leaders and the rest of the field continues to grow. SpiceJet and Akasa Air carried just 0.31 million and 0.21 million international passengers respectively, highlighting the duopoly forming in India’s skies.

Brief Summary

IndiGo carried 4.14 million international passengers in the September quarter, narrowly beating the Air India Group’s 4.10 million to reclaim the top spot after six years. While Air India struggled with capacity cuts following a major crash and fleet retrofits, IndiGo expanded its overseas network. Despite recent domestic disruptions, IndiGo has prioritized protecting its international routes to sustain this lead.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: How did IndiGo beat Air India?

IndiGo expanded its international flights by 14.5% this winter, focusing on high-demand routes. Meanwhile, Air India was forced to cut capacity by roughly 15% following a fatal crash in June 2025 and delays in receiving new aircraft.

Q2: Is this a permanent shift?

It is too early to say. Air India is currently retrofitting its fleet and awaiting new widebody jets. Once its full capacity returns, the race will tighten again. However, IndiGo currently has more scheduled international flights for the winter season.

Q3: Did IndiGo cancel international flights recently?

Very few. While IndiGo faced a crisis in early December due to pilot shortages (cancelling ~25% of domestic flights), it prioritized its international network, cancelling only 2.4% of overseas flights to protect its market share.

Q4: What is the “Air India Group”?

This refers to the combined operations of the full-service carrier Air India and its low-cost subsidiary Air India Express, both owned by the Tata Group. IndiGo beat their combined total.

Q5: Where do the other airlines stand?

Far behind. SpiceJet and Akasa Air have less than 10% of the international volume of the top two players, indicating that international traffic is increasingly controlled by the IndiGo and Tata duopoly.