DGCA finalises summer schedule, Indian airlines will operate a total of 24,275 weekly domestic flights

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has finalised the summer schedule — which will be in in from March 31 to Oct 26, 2024, — of domestic and international flights. As per the summer weekly schedule, Indian airlines will operate a total of 24,275 weekly domestic flights during the summer schedule starting from March 31, a nearly 6 per cent increase compared to the year-ago period and 2.3 percent more than ongoing winter’s weekly schedule’s 23,732 ( which will be ended on March 30). This is despite over 75 IndiGo planes being grounded due to Pratt & Whitney’s unending engine issues; GoAir not flying since last may; less operations by SpiceJet and slower than expected supply of new planes from Boeing and Airbus due to global supply chain constraints.

Out of these 125 airports, Azamgarh, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Gondia, Jalgaon, Moradabad and Pithoragarh are added to the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines while Ziro and Hindon airports will not be included in the Summer Schedule 2023.

According to DGCA, in the summer schedule, Indian carriers will connect 37 countries, including the US, the UK, Uzbekistan, Maldives, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The international flights will be operated from 27 domestic airports.

IndiGo, Air India and Vistara will operate more flights while SpiceJet will reduce departures during the 2024 summer schedule that spans from March 31 to October 26. Domestic carriers will be operating 1,922 weekly international flights, a rise of 5.1 per cent compared to the 2023 summer schedule. In comparison to the ongoing winter schedule where the count of international weekly flights is 1,892, the increase is only 1.6 per cent.

According to the schedule, IndiGo plans to operate the highest number of departures with 13,050 flights per week followed by Vistara with 2,324 weekly flights. Air India, SpiceJet, Air India Express, IAX Connect, Akasa Air and Alliance Air are going to operate 2,278 flights, 1,657 flights, 1,239 flights, 1,198 flights, 903 flights and 896 flights on a weekly basis, respectively.

The combined entity of Air India Express and AIX Connect — will operate 31.6 percent more flights in the upcoming summer schedule. IndiGo plans to operate 0.5 percent fewer flight or around 70 fewer weekly flights, Air India plans to operate 3.8 percent less capacity or 89 fewer weekly flights, SpiceJet plans to operate 22 percent less capacity or 475 fewer weekly flights and Alliance Air plans to operate 2 percent lower capacity or 18 fewer weekly flights, as per DGCA data.

In the international segment, Air India will operate 455 weekly flights, an increase of 5.1 per cent compared to the year-ago period.  IndiGo will have 13.5 per cent more international flights at 731 while Vistara will increase its weekly overseas departures by 50.8 per cent to 184.

Air India Express’ departures will rise 20.8 per cent to 371 flights.  However, SpiceJet will be reducing its international flights by 12.6 per cent to 174. In the last summer schedule, Go First was to operate 120 weekly overseas flights.

Alliance Air will operate 7 weekly international departures in the latest summer schedule compared to 4 in the year-ago period.

Air India, Air India Express and Vistara are part of the Tata Group, and Vistara is in the process of getting merged with Air India.