Media365
As the world navigated a fragile ceasefire in the West Asian war, Indian aviation boomed amid the turmoil, recording May 2026 as its best-ever month in the history of domestic aviation. Indian carriers flew 1,53,89,701 passengers in May 2026, a record high, across 1,02,953 domestic flights, another record for the highest number of domestic flights in the history of Indian aviation.
The only other time domestic aviation saw over one lakh flights in a month was in March 2025, fuelled by traffic for the Maha Kumbh Mela at Prayagraj. A total of 102,319 domestic flights operated in March 2025, carrying 1,45,41,682 passengers within the country. The only other time more than 1.5 crore domestic passengers travelled in India was in November last year, when 1,52,36,646 people took to the air across 99,276 flights, according to data released by the regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
This comes as good news amid the losses both Air India and IndiGo have incurred over the last year, primarily due to geopolitical challenges and foreign exchange. Compared to last May, which was impacted by the immediate aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam attack and Operation Sindoor, the growth was 4.5 per cent in departures and 9.5 per cent in passengers carried. Among the major airlines, barring SpiceJet, every airline benefited from the increase in passenger numbers.
Even as passenger traffic grew, with the industry carrying over 13 lakh more passengers compared to last May, SpiceJet flew fewer passengers, leading to its market share dropping below 3 per cent and ending May with a 2.5 per cent market share. IndiGo was the biggest beneficiary, carrying 68 per cent of the additional traffic. Overall, the month ended with IndiGo leading the market with a 64.9 per cent domestic market share, followed by the Air India Group at 25.6 per cent. Akasa Air is now a strong number three with a 5.8 per cent market share.
The West Asia war pushed up fuel prices, but the government capped the increase in Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) prices for domestic flights at 25 per cent, while international flights saw increases in line with market rates. The impact was visible as Indian carriers flew 6.5 lakh fewer international passengers. May is the peak holiday month in India, with schools across the country closed for summer vacations. It is also one of the two peak travel seasons, the other being November-December, when festive travel leads to higher air traffic.
This was also the highest-ever domestic traffic in a single month for IndiGo, which fell just 8,952 passengers short of carrying 1 crore domestic passengers in a month. Akasa Air also recorded its best-ever month, crossing the 8 lakh passengers-per-month mark for the first time.
SpiceJet’s troubles are not limited to its shrinking market share. The airline, which has yet to declare its Q4 FY26 and full-year FY26 results, also ranked at the bottom for On-Time Performance, with only 26.5 per cent of its flights operating on time at the country’s 10 major airports. IndiGo, which experienced an operational meltdown in December, continued to record the best On-Time Performance at 82.8 per cent, while Akasa Air recorded the highest load factor among its peers at 92.5 per cent.
The numbers are a morale booster for the industry and an indication that the domestic aviation sector has been able to benefit from international turmoil. This also came in the month when the Prime Minister urged Indians to voluntarily delay non-essential foreign travel.
This was the first time the Prime Minister explicitly made such an appeal. The previous two instances that led to a drop in Indian tourist arrivals in the Maldives following the anti-India backlash and a multifold increase in tourism to Lakshadweep after the Prime Minister’s visit and a widely shared photograph both occurred without any specific appeal.
