IndiGo among top five fastest-growing airlines in 2025: OAG

IndiGo recorded strong growth, with a capacity increase in 2025 of 10%, even as it saw operational challenges in December 2025 due to network meltdown, according to the latest update from the aviation analytics firm OAG.

OAG said that IndiGo, Wizz Air, and LATAM appear in the top 5 across all four-growth metrics — capacity growth, frequency growth, route growth and Available Seat Kilometre (ASK) growth — making them the standout growth stories of 2025.

Following high volumes of flight cancellations due to pilot and crew rostering issues in late 2025, the Indian government instructed IndiGo to reduce its domestic operations by 10% from late 2025 to March 2026.

According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, IndiGo cancelled 5,689 flights affecting 9,00,000 passengers, linked to failures in implementing the revised Flight Duty Time Limitations (FDTL) norms for pilots and crew. It imposed a fine of Rs 22 crore on IndiGo for the operational meltdown.    

It impacted the financials of the airline with a 77.6% dip in net profit in Q3FY26. InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, the parent company of India’s largest airline, IndiGo, reported a sharp decline in its bottom line for the third quarter ended December 31, 2025. The low-cost carrier’s net profit nosedived by 77.6% to Rs 549.8 crore, compared to Rs 2,448.8 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

The steep fall was primarily driven by a massive Rs 1,546.5 crore hit from exceptional items, which heavily skewed the quarter’s performance. The company absorbed costs of Rs 555 crore related to operational disruptions and a penalty of Rs 22.2 crore imposed by the DGCA.

IndiGo has more aircraft on order than any other airline in the top 20, with 907 orders in place. Its order book equals 228% of its current active fleet of 398 aircraft. This reflects the huge growth trajectory of Indian aviation.

“IndiGo continues to record strong growth, with a capacity increase in 2025 of 10%, but some operational challenges have come with this sustained level of growth,” noted OAG.

While 86% of capacity is allocated to domestic markets, international growth is a key part of the airline’s future growth, and in 202,5 IndiGo expanded its international capacity by 27%. IndiGo’s largest international markets are the UAE and Saudi Arabia, followed by Thailand and Singapore.