Indian Airlines to Operate 23,732 Flights Weekly During Winter Schedule

New Delhi: Indian airlines will operate a total of 23,732 flights every week during the winter schedule, which is 8 per cent higher than the year-ago period, amid rising air traffic demand. The winter schedule 2023 -- effective from October 29 to March 30 next year -- for the scheduled carriers has been approved by aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Go First, which stopped flying from May 3 and is undergoing an insolvency resolution process, will not be having any operations during the winter schedule.

Key Highlights

• The winter schedule 2023 for scheduled carriers has been approved by aviation regulator DGCA.
• There will be 23,732 departures per week which have been finalised to/from 118 airports.
• IndiGo will be operating the maximum number of 13,119 weekly domestic flights in the winter schedule this year.
• Vistara and SpiceJet will be reducing its flights in the winter schedule compared to the same period a year ago.
• The little over one-year old Akasa Air will operate 790 weekly flights in the upcoming winter schedule.
• India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and air traffic is on the rise.

IndiGo, Air India to Operate Maximum Flights

IndiGo will be operating the maximum number of 13,119 weekly domestic flights in the winter schedule this year, marking a 30.08 per cent jump compared to the year-ago period. Air India will have 18.94 per cent more weekly flights at 2,367 in the latest winter schedule compared to the same period a year ago. Air India Express and AirAsia India now called AIX Connect will together operate 1,940 weekly flights in this year's winter schedule. Both airlines are in the process of being merged. Vistara will be operating 1,902 flights every week. Air India Group comprising Air India, Air India Express, AirAsia India and Vistara, together will operate 6,209 weekly flights in the winter schedule.

Vistara, SpiceJet to Reduce Flights

Vistara and SpiceJet will be reducing its flights in the winter schedule compared to the same period a year ago. Vistara, which is to be merged with Air India, will operate 1,902 flights, a reduction of 2.01 per cent compared to the winter schedule 2022. In the year-ago period, the airline had operated 1,941 flights. Grappling with financial and operational woes, SpiceJet will see 33.23 per cent decline in the number of weekly flights at 2,132 in the winter schedule. The carrier had operated 3,193 flights in the same period a year ago.

New Airports to be Added

Out of the 118 airports, Bhatinda, Jaisalmer, Ludhiana, Nanded, Shivamogga, Salem, Utkela, Hindon and Ziro are the new airports proposed for operations by the scheduled airlines. In the summer schedule 2023, there were 22,907 departures per week from 110 airports. Compared to these numbers, there will be an increase of 3.60 per cent in the count of weekly flights in the winter schedule 2023.

The latest winter schedule has been finalised by the DGCA after the slot conference meeting held in September. Also, the final clearance of slots have been received from respective airport operators on eGCA portal. India is one of the world's fastest growing civil aviation markets and air traffic is on the rise. The new winter schedule will provide more options for passengers and help meet the growing demand for air travel.