Two new airlines — Al Hind Air and FlyExpress — have received government approval to begin operations after being granted no-objection certificates (NOCs) by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
In addition to these two carriers, Uttar Pradesh-based Shankh Air, which has already received its NOC, is also expected to start operations in 2026. Al Hind Air is being promoted by the Kerala-based Alhind Group.
The civil aviation ministry is encouraging the entry of more airlines as India remains one of the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world. At present, there are nine scheduled domestic airlines operating in the country. Regional carrier Fly Big suspended its scheduled services in October.
Currently, IndiGo and the Air India Group — which includes Air India and Air India Express — together control over 90 per cent of the domestic market. Concerns over a growing duopoly have intensified recently following major operational disruptions at IndiGo, which alone holds more than 65 per cent market share.
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said in a post on X that he recently met teams from new airlines planning to enter the Indian market. While Shankh Air had already received its NOC earlier, Al Hind Air and FlyExpress were granted approvals this week.
The minister said the government’s effort is to promote more competition in Indian aviation. He added that schemes such as UDAN have helped smaller airlines like Star Air, IndiaOne Air and Fly91 improve regional connectivity, with further growth potential in the sector.
According to the latest Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) data, scheduled airlines currently operating in India include IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Alliance Air, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, Fly91 and IndiaOne Air.
In recent years, several airlines, including Go First and Jet Airways, ceased operations due to mounting debt and financial stress.