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Flight cancellations top 5,700 in first half of 2025, government data show
Over 5,700 flights were cancelled in India in the first half of 2025 due to regulatory and geopolitical factors, even as domestic air travel grew over 7%.
The aviation sector saw more than 5,700 flight cancellations in the first six months of the year due to regulatory and geopolitical headwinds, representing roughly 1 percent of total scheduled departures during that period.
The data, released by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on Monday, covered six carriers: Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Alliance Air, as per a PTI report.
In all, 5,706 flights were cancelled from January through June, compared with a total of 572,079 departures. Mohol noted that operational disruptions take a financial toll on airlines. Further, airlines were required to provide refunds or compensation to passengers for cancellations or significant delays, Mohol added, citing additional fuel expenses, crew overtime, maintenance, airport fees and rebooking costs.
Despite the cancellations, air travel demand remained resilient. Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January-June 2025 registered a growth of 7.34 per cent as compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.
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