Domestic airlines carried 1,105.30 lakh passengers during the first eight months of 2026, DGCA data shows
New Delhi, September 23, 2026: India’s domestic air passenger traffic declined marginally by 0.18 per cent year-on-year during January-August 2026, according to data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Domestic airlines carried 1,105.30 lakh passengers during the January-August period, compared with 1,107.26 lakh passengers during the corresponding period last year. The DGCA data showed an annual growth rate of -0.18 per cent and a monthly growth rate of -6.34 per cent.
August Sees Decline in Passenger Load Factors
The data showed that the passenger load factor of most scheduled domestic airlines declined in August compared with July.
Akasa Air recorded the highest passenger load factor at 87.6 per cent, although this was lower than the 94.9 per cent recorded in July. It was followed by SpiceJet at 79.9 per cent and IndiGo at 79.2 per cent.
The Air India Group recorded a load factor of 77 per cent, down from 83.2 per cent in July. Fly91’s load factor increased slightly to 75 per cent from 74.7 per cent.
Cancellation Rate Stands at 1.04%
The overall cancellation rate of scheduled domestic airlines stood at 1.04 per cent in August 2026.
SpiceJet recorded the highest cancellation rate at 20.92 per cent, followed by IndiaOne Air at 10.60 per cent and Alliance Air at 4.58 per cent.
Air India Group recorded a cancellation rate of 1.14 per cent, while IndiGo reported 0.33 per cent and Akasa Air 0.07 per cent.
Technical Issues Account for Largest Share
According to the DGCA data, technical issues accounted for 50.2 per cent of airline cancellations in August.
Operational reasons accounted for 20.4 per cent, while miscellaneous factors contributed 17.4 per cent. Weather-related disruptions accounted for 8.5 per cent of cancellations, with commercial reasons making up the remaining 3.5 per cent.
Flight Delays Also Reported
The DGCA said around 1.39 per cent of flights were delayed by more than two hours during August.
SpiceJet recorded the highest share of such delays at 48.05 per cent, followed by Fly91 at 3.46 per cent and Alliance Air at 2.47 per cent. Air India Group reported 1.29 per cent, while IndiGo recorded 0.44 per cent of flights delayed by more than two hours.
The latest figures indicate a marginal year-on-year contraction in India’s domestic passenger traffic during the first eight months of 2026, while airline performance varied considerably in terms of cancellations, load factors and delays.
