DGCA publishes domestic flight schedule for winter 2024

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday released the 2024 domestic winter schedule in which Indian airlines will operate 25,007 flights to and from 124 airports every week from October 27, an increase of three percent over the flights operated this year Summer. Compared to the 2023 winter flight schedule, the number of flights increased by 5.37 percent. The 2024 winter schedule (valid from October 27, 2024 to March 29, 2025) of domestic scheduled airlines was finalized after the slot conference meeting in September 2024.

“Of these 124 airports, Pondicherry airport is proposed by the scheduled airlines while the operations of Pakyong and Tezpur airports have been suspended in the winter 2024 schedule,” the DGCA said in a press release.

More than half of the total 25,007 domestic departures per week in the winter flight schedule are handled by IndiGo.

The Gurugram-headquartered airline will register 13,691 weekly departures, up 4.91 per cent from 13,050 weekly departures in the current summer schedule. Additionally, the Tata Group, which currently includes three airlines – Air India, its subsidiary Air India Express and its JV airline with SIA Vistara – will operate a total of 7,611 departures per week this winter, according to DGCA.

Of these, Air India will handle 2,586 departures per week, up 13.52 percent compared to 2,278 departures per week in this year’s summer schedule, while Air India Express (with which AIX merged this month) will handle 2,832 departures per week in the winter schedule, an increase of 16.21 percent compared to 2,437 departures per week in the 2024 summer schedule.

However, Vistara will see 5.64 per cent fewer departures per week to 2,193 in summer this year from 2,324 departures per week in summer this year, it said.

Low-cost airline SpiceJet will also handle fewer departures at 1,297 per week compared to 1,657 departures per week in this year’s summer schedule, a decrease of 21.73 percent, the DGCA said. According to DGCA, Akasa Air has registered 989 departures per week for the 2024 winter schedule, which would be an increase of 9.52 percent compared to the summer schedule. Of these 124 airports, Pondicherry airport is proposed by the scheduled airlines while operations of Pakyong and Tezpur airports have been suspended in the winter 2024 schedule.