IndiGo, India’s largest carrier by fleet and domestic market share, had to suspend operations to Almaty and Tashkent, where it operated Daily flights from Delhi. The suspension came on the day Pakistan closed its airspace for Indian carriers.
Prior to the recently held IATA AGM in Delhi, IndiGo made some big bang announcements which have been consolidated here. Some of the announcements are now taking shape and flights are open for sale.
Almaty
IndiGo launched operations to Almaty in September 2023. Subsequently, the airline increased frequency to Daily from August 2024. The airline had got into a duel with Air Astana, which has been operating to Delhi for over a decade. With abrupt end to Almaty operations, IndiGo has found a way to connect Almaty, this time from Mumbai. The flights will be effective July 01, 2025
6E1817 BOM1900 – 0025(+1)ALA Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun
6E1818 ALA0125 – 0820BOM Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat
Air Astana also operates the route which started only recently. The route to Mumbai is much thinner than Delhi and IndiGo will have to use all its connection might to ensure better connections so that it can compete with Air Astana, which now has a monopoly from Delhi.
Tashkent
IndiGo launched operations to Tashkent in September 2023. Subsequently, the airline increased frequency to Daily from August 2024. IndiGo’s re-foray into Tashkent will be effective August 01, 2025
6E1821 BOM0955 – 1500TAS
6E1822 TAS1620 – 2155BOM
Flights operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
The timings are remarkably different from the ones which it operated to from Delhi, which were red eye arrivals into Tashkent. The operations from Delhi were more aligned to feed connections from within India and the timings from Mumbai look like being driven by slot availability. As is the case with Almaty, IndiGo will face competition on this route as well with Uzbekistan Airlines operating to Mumbai from Tashkent.
Tbilisi
IndiGo continued operating to Tbilisi from Delhi, though it meant taking a longer route with Pakistan airspace closure. The flights from Mumbai are an addition to existing operations. Flights to Tbilisi start August 02, 2025 and alternate with Tashkent
6E1823 BOM0955 – 1400TBS
6E1824 TAS1500 – 2145BOM
Flights operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays
IndiGo started operations to Tbilisi in August 2023 and increased the frequency to Daily in August 2024. While there remained historic connectivity between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan with India, flights to Georgia were completely new and Indians took to the new route in droves.
Network Thoughts
The Pakistani airspace closure is becoming a more frequent reality than a one-off incident and IndiGo would want to factor this in for its future network. With Mumbai and Navi Mumbai airport being available for future, there will be capacity to offer and IndiGo may well want to expand from Mumbai metropolitan region as a primary base over Delhi as it inducts its damp leased planes along with its own A350s which start joining the fleet from 2027.
The days of primary hub being Delhi and selective expansion from Mumbai and Bengaluru seems to be fast changing for primary hub being Mumbai, which was carrying more passengers than Delhi until 2008-9 when Delhi took the lead.
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