Air India, IndiGo To Cut Domestic Flights Amid Rising Fuel Prices; Mumbai To Bhopal, Nagpur Routes On List

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Flight services on the Bhopal route may see changes from June 1 as major airlines Air India and IndiGo plan to reduce domestic operations for the next three months amid rising fuel prices .

Air India is expected to cut up to 22 percent of its domestic flights, while IndiGo may reduce around 5 to 7 percent of services.

According to a report by Moneycontrol, number of flights operating between Mumbai to Bhopal, Nagpur and Ahmedabad are likely to be reduced temporarily

Why this decision?

The decision comes after a sharp increase in aviation turbine fuel prices following the Iran conflict. Airlines are also facing lower travel demand after the school holiday season ended.

Air India, which is already dealing with financial pressure, has also reduced several international services. According to sources, the airline has cut nearly 27 percent of its international operations.

In an official statement, Air India said it has “temporarily rationalised operations on certain domestic routes” between June and August 2026 by reducing flight frequency on selected sectors.

Air India currently operates around 4,400 weekly flights, including nearly 3,600 domestic and 800 international services.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium reported that India’s four largest airlines saw flight operations fall by nearly 6 percent during March and April compared to the same period last year.

IndiGo operated 4.5 percent fewer flights, while Air India reduced services by 7.5 percent. Air India Express recorded a bigger decline of 17.1 percent.

Passengers travelling to and from Bhopal may now face fewer flight options and schedule changes in the coming months as airlines try to manage rising operational costs.