Thanks to IndiGo & AI, this winter may see more domestic flights despite Go collapse & shrinking SpiceJet

NEW DELHI: Despite GoAir collapse, Indian carriers could be operating more flights this winter than last year. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved 23,732 domestic departures per week from 118 airports – up 3.6% from this summer schedule’s 22,907 departures per week from 110 airports. This winter’s schedule is 8% higher than 21,941 of last winter. However this is the approved schedule indicating the maximum number of flights airlines’ can operate and the actual number is usually very different.

According to DGCA data among big carriers, the maximum increase in schedule is IndiGo’s — at 13,119 weekly domestic departures this winter, 30% more than last winter – and Air India at 2,367, up 19% from last winter. Together Tata Group L’s three airlines — AI, Vistara and Air Asia India — have a schedule of over 5,700 weekly domestic departures this winter. The increase by AI and IndiGo have compensated for both GoAir collapse and shrinking of SpiceJet which has a schedule of 2,132 weekly domestic departures this winter – as opposed to 2,240 this summer and 3,193 last winter.
Winter schedule 2023 will be effective from October 29 2023 till March 30, 2024. Regarding the coming winter schedule, DGCA said in a statement: “Out of the 118 airports, Bhatinda, Jaisalmer, Ludhiana, Nanded, Shivmoga, Salem, Utkela, Hindon and Ziro are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines whereas operations from Gondia airport have not been proposed in Winter Schedule 2023.”