Kolkata: IndiGo Airlines will suspend flights from Kolkata to Singapore, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Siam Reap starting July 1, significantly reducing the city's international flight connectivity. The airline will also decrease the frequency of flights to Phuket, Thailand.
Domestic Route Cuts and Financial Pressures
IndiGo is also reducing domestic flights, particularly on sectors with multiple frequencies and those with low yields or profitability. These measures come after the airline reported a net loss of Rs 2,536 crore for the quarter ending March 31, 2026, a sharp decline from a profit of Rs 3,068 crore in the same period last year.
Sources indicate that international flights are being suspended to curb losses. Factors contributing to the difficult situation include a sharp rise in aviation turbine fuel prices due to the Iran war, a slide in travel sentiment, and the onset of the monsoon season when leisure travel typically declines.
Impact of Airspace Closures
The Iran conflict disrupted air travel through airspace closures in West Asia, leading to longer flight reroutings and increased jet fuel prices, raising cost pressures on airlines globally. Additionally, Pakistan's airspace ban on Indian carriers, imposed amid military tensions last year, increased flight times and operating costs.
Malaysia Airlines, which operates five flights a week between Kolkata and Kuala Lumpur, has also indicated plans to reduce frequency to three flights a week from July 1.
Specific Flight Suspensions and Reductions
IndiGo will suspend all flights from Kolkata to Singapore, Shanghai, Ho Chi Minh City, and Siam Reap (the temple town in Cambodia where Angkor Wat is located) from July 1 to October 1. The airline will reduce frequency to Phuket to three times a week, operating on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
Travel agents report that rising fares have triggered a slump in demand. Tickets that previously cost between Rs 5,000 and Rs 8,000 now range from Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000, and passenger load on some flights has dropped from over 90% to 82%.
IndiGo, India's largest airline, previously operated 2,200 daily flights but has reduced that number to around 1,800. In Kolkata, the airline's daily flight count, currently between 112 and 122, could fall below 100 by the end of the month.
Additionally, IndiGo has decided to suspend flights from India to Langkawi (Malaysia), Krabi (Thailand), and Hong starting July 1.
