Friends, According to the media reports,In late 2025, the Indian government approved the entry of three new domestic airlines to boost regional connectivity and increase competition in a market currently dominated by IndiGo and the Air India Group.
As of December 26, 2025, the following airlines are in the process of launching:
1. Shankh Air
Status: Received No Objection Certificate (NOC) and is working toward its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the DGCA.
Launch Timeline: Expected to begin commercial operations by the first quarter of 2026.
Operations: Uttar Pradesh's first scheduled full-service airline, with main hubs planned for Lucknow and the upcoming Noida International Airport (Jewar).
Focus: Plans to connect major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru with regional hubs like Varanasi and Gorakhpur.
2. Al Hind Air
Status: Granted its NOC by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on December 24, 2025.
Launch Timeline: Expected to start operations in early 2026.
Operations: Based in Kerala (Kozhikode/Kochi), it is a venture of the Alhind Group.
Focus: Initially operating as a regional commuter with ATR 72-600 aircraft, it aims to connect southern cities like Kochi, Bengaluru, and Chennai before expanding to Gulf countries (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE) using Airbus A320s.
3. FlyExpress
Status: Granted its NOC on December 24, 2025.
Operations: Based in Telangana/Hyderabad and backed by a logistics and courier company.
Focus: Aims to connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities under the government’s UDAN regional connectivity scheme. It may initially focus on cargo-linked or regional passenger routes.
4. Air Kerala
Status: Pursuing regulatory approvals to become India’s first ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC).
Launch Timeline: Targeted domestic operations for 2025 with international expansion by 2026.
Current Active Domestic Airlines (for Context)
As of December 2025, there are nine active scheduled domestic carriers:
IndiGo (Market leader)
Air India and Air India Express
Akasa Air
SpiceJet
Alliance Air
Regional players: Star Air, Fly91, and IndiaOne Air.
Thanks for connecting business Khabri.
Blog ID : 1568
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