Overview
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has finalized the Winter Schedule 2025 (WS25) for scheduled domestic airlines, effective from October 26, 2025, to March 28, 2026. This schedule reflects a 5.95% growth in departures per week compared to the Winter Schedule 2024. The final slot clearances were received after a slot conference meeting held in September 2025.
Key Highlights
- Total Departures: 26,495 departures per week are finalized to/from 126 airports in WS25.
- Comparison with Summer Schedule 2025 (SS25): SS25 had 25,610 departures per week from 129 airports.
- New Airports: Amravati, Hissar, Purnia, and Rupsi are the new airports proposed in WS25.
- Suspended Operations: Operations from Aligarh, Moradabad, Chitrakoot, Bhavnagar, Ludhiana, Pakyong, and Shravasti airports were suspended in WS25.
Airline-wise Departures
The following table shows the airline-wise break-up of departures per week in WS25:
| Alliance Air | 520 |
| Air India | 4,277 |
| AI Express | 3,171 |
| Indigo | 15,014 |
| SpiceJet | 1,568 |
| Star Air | 538 |
| Fly Big | 58 |
| India One | 126 |
| Akasa Air | 1,027 |
| Fly91 | 196 |
| Total | 26,495 |
Comparative Growth Analysis
WS25 vs SS25
The following table compares the departures per week in WS25 and SS25, showing the growth percentage:
| Alliance Air | 520 | 520 | 0.00 |
| Air India | 4,277 | 4,310 | -0.77 |
| AI Express | 3,171 | 3,375 | -6.04 |
| Indigo | 15,014 | 14,158 | 6.05 |
| SpiceJet | 1568 | 1,240 | 26.45 |
| Star Air | 538 | 505 | 6.53 |
| Fly Big | 58 | 176 | -67.05 |
| India One | 126 | 114 | 10.53 |
| Akasa Air | 1027 | 1,089 | -5.69 |
| Fly91 | 196 | 123 | 59.35 |
| Total | 26495 | 25,610 | 3.46 |
WS25 vs WS24
The following table compares the departures per week in WS25 and WS24, showing the growth percentage:
| Alliance Air | 520 | 673 | -22.73 |
| Air India +Vistara | 4,277 | 4,779 | -10.50 |
| AI Express | 3,171 | 2,832 | 11.97 |
| Indigo | 15,014 | 13,691 | 9.66 |
| SpiceJet | 1,568 | 1,297 | 20.89 |
| Star Air | 538 | 360 | 49.44 |
| Fly Big | 58 | 152 | -61.84 |
| IndiaOne | 126 | 112 | 12.50 |
| Akasa Air | 1,027 | 989 | 3.84 |
| Fly91 | 196 | 122 | 60.66 |
| Total | 26,495 | 25,007 | 5.95 |
UPSC Relevance
This information is relevant to GS3 (Infrastructure) as it provides insights into the growth and development of the aviation sector in India. It also touches upon GS3 (Economy) by showcasing the economic impact of aviation and regional connectivity. Furthermore, it relates to GS2 (Government Policies) as the Winter Schedule is a result of government planning and policy-making in the civil aviation sector.