DGCA Data Shows Domestic Air Traffic Down 4.2% in April; IndiGo Strengthens Market Dominance

India's domestic aviation sector witnessed a slowdown in April 2026, with passenger traffic declining both on a monthly and annual basis, according to the latest figures released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Airlines carried just over 1.38 crore passengers during the month as the industry grappled with softer travel demand, rising operational expenses and network adjustments by several carriers.

Passenger Numbers Dip Despite Stable Year-to-Date Growth

DGCA data showed that domestic airlines transported more than 1.38 crore passengers in April, down from 1.44 crore passengers recorded in March. The decline represents a 4.2% month-on-month fall in traffic.

Compared with April 2025, when airlines carried over 1.43 crore passengers, traffic this year was lower by 3.47%.

Highlighting the broader trend for the year so far, the aviation regulator said, "Passengers carried by domestic airlines during January - April 2026 were 575.49 lakhs as against 575.13 lakhs during the corresponding period of the previous year thereby registering an annual growth of 0.06% and monthly growth of -3.47%," DGCA said in its report for the month of April.

Airlines have been operating in a challenging environment marked by increasing fuel costs and relatively subdued passenger demand. Several carriers have also trimmed portions of their route networks in response to changing market conditions.

IndiGo Gains Market Share While Air India Group Slips

Market share data revealed significant shifts among major airlines during April.

IndiGo further consolidated its dominance in the domestic market, increasing its share to 65% from 63.3% in March. In contrast, the Air India Group witnessed a decline, with its market share dropping to 24.7% from 26.2% in the previous month.

Among other operators, Akasa Air registered a modest improvement, with its share rising to 5.8% from 5.4%. SpiceJet's share fell from 3.8% to 3.4%, while Alliance Air's share reduced to 0.3% from 0.6%.

The latest figures underline IndiGo's continued ability to strengthen its position even as the broader market faces slower growth.

Over 3,200 Passenger Complaints Filed During April

Passenger grievance data showed that scheduled domestic airlines received 3,266 complaints during April.

According to DGCA, the complaint rate stood at 2.36 complaints per 10,000 passengers carried during the month. The figures offer a snapshot of customer experience across the country's airlines amid operational challenges and fluctuating demand.

Flight Delays and Cancellations Affect Thousands of Travellers

Operational performance differed widely among carriers. IndiGo recorded the highest on-time performance (OTP) at 88.5%, followed by the Air India Group at 82.4% and Akasa Air at 81.4%.

Alliance Air posted an OTP of 71.2%, while SpiceJet lagged significantly behind at 31.2%.

The regulator calculates OTP across ten major airports: Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Guwahati and Lucknow.

DGCA data further showed that 1.12% of flights experienced delays exceeding two hours during April.

More than 1.35 lakh passengers were affected by flight delays, prompting airlines to spend over Rs 2.41 crore on facilitation measures. Flight cancellations impacted 77,065 passengers, resulting in compensation and assistance payments of Rs 2.04 crore.

Additionally, 641 passengers were denied boarding during the month, with airlines paying Rs 57.65 lakh towards compensation and passenger assistance.