BUMPER WINTER AHEAD FOR INDIAN CARRIERS

The DGCA's winter 2024 schedule approves 25,007 weekly flights, marking growth for Indian carriers, with Air India Express leading in expansion and Vistara set to merge with Air India, analyses

- AMEYA JOSHI

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) released the summary of the approved Northern Winter schedule for domestic airlines in India. The regulator has approved a total of 25,007 weekly flights, which is an increase of 3.2 per cent over the concluding summer schedule and a 5.3 per cent increase over the previous winter. The schedule sees Vistara flights being approved separately, but they will merge with Air India on November 12, making Air India the undisputed number two in Indian skies—a rank it could lose in future to its subsidiary Air India Express, given its expansion plans.

Among the major airlines, the maximum sequential growth has been seen by the unified Air India Express, which is registering a 16.2 per cent growth. This is a 45 per cent increase compared to last winter. Until October 01 this year, Air India Express and AIX Connect (erstwhile AirAsia India) operated separately.

Sequentially, the government-owned Alliance Air, SpiceJet and flybig are shrinking. The schedule surpasses the pre-COVID schedule despite the fall of Go FIRST and the shrinking of SpiceJet. The growth of IndiGo, the birth of Akasa Air and the expansion of the privatised Air India group (including Vistara and Air India Express) have resulted in more flights operating now than ever. The schedule also includes operations to 124 airports, compared to the preceding schedule, which had approvals for 125 airports. In all probability, the commercial operationalisation of both Navi Mumbai and Noida Airport at Jewar would be pushed to the Summer schedule, which begins on the last Sunday of March next year. This schedule is despite the challenges

Unfortunately, not all airlines operate as many flights as approved. The current schedule has 24,275 weekly flights approved across airlines. The last seven days have seen 22,201 flights in operation, or 91 per cent of approved flights.