Indian carriers soar on international routes but foreign rivals lead

On the popular India-Singapore route, Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot remain dominant despite competition from IndiGo, Air India (A-I), A-I Express, and Vistara

Indian airlines are ramping up their international presence by adding more direct flights. Despite these efforts, foreign carriers continue to dominate on many routes outside of West Asia, particularly to Europe and Southeast Asia.

Take AirAsia, for instance. Although it struggled to establish itself in the domestic market and sold its stake in AirAsia India to the Tatas, it remains influential in markets like Malaysia and Thailand.

According to Cirium data, AirAsia leads the India-Malaysia route with 46 per cent of the overall seat capacity share for September 2024. Indian carriers, in comparison, hold less than 5