Fuel costs force airlines to cut Hyd flights, airfares surge

Hyderabad: Rising fuel prices have started impacting domestic air connectivity from Hyderabad, with major airlines including Air India, Air India Express and IndiGo reducing services on key routes ahead of the post-summer travel rush.The Hyderabad-Mumbai route has emerged as the worst affected. Air India, which currently operates around seven to eight flights daily between the two cities, will reduce its operations to four flights from June. Air India Express, which runs one or two services on the sector, will suspend its flights altogether.Similarly, Air India Express will scale down its Hyderabad-Delhi operations from 13 flights daily to 10. Several connecting services routed through New Delhi and Mumbai to destinations such as Amritsar may also be affected. Adding to the disruption, IndiGo has cancelled select flights connecting Hyderabad with Bengaluru, Goa and Kolkata.Air India said the move is part of its previously announced operational adjustments between June and Aug 2026. “We have temporarily rationalised operations on certain domestic routes during the same period, with a reduction in frequencies on select routes,” the airline said in a statement.The airline attributed the decision to the sustained rise in fuel prices and increasing operational costs. “We will continue to monitor demand and operating conditions closely, with a view to restoring frequencies as conditions stabilise. Passengers impacted by these changes will be proactively assisted with re-accommodation on alternative flights, complimentary date changes or full refunds, as applicable,” the statement added.Domestic airfares from Hyderabad have already started climbing and are expected to rise further from June 1 due to increased demand and reduced capacity. For instance, one-way fares between Delhi and Hyderabad, which currently range between Rs 12,000 and Rs 22,000, rose to Rs 15,000-Rs 30,000 on June 1. A similar jump in fares is being witnessed on the Hyderabad-Goa route.Travel agents said the reduction in flight frequencies would particularly affect students and families returning after summer vacations. “The impact will be more visible during the midweek of June when schools reopen and people return to work. Airlines are likely to cash in on the demand, leading to a further spike in ticket prices,” Majeed Faheem, chairman of Travel Agents Federation of India (Telangana and AP chapter), said.