New Delhi: International air travel to and from India hit a quarterly high between October and December 2025 and crossed the Rs two-crore mark for the first time.Although travel to the United States remained suppressed during President Trump’s second term due to visa issues such as student and H-1B; according to Canada’s Civil Aviation Authority, 780 million people flew to India last year, an 8% increase from 720 million last year, due to Canada’s high rejection rate of Indian visa applicants, delays in visa issuance, and a reduction in Air India flights after the AI 171 Ahmedabad crash last June.While the share of foreign airlines has been stable at 54% as India has not increased the rights of most airlines to fly in countries where India has a large presence, the share of Indian airlines has changed. Not long ago (after the collapse of Jet Airways), the Air India Group was the largest group in terms of passenger traffic to and from the subcontinent.
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That changed in the July-September 2025 quarter, after which IndiGo flew faster than AI Group (see chart). “Nearly 1.5 crore Indians obtained passports last year. Last year, only 33-35 lakh of these passport holders traveled abroad. Hence, we have a large number of passport holders who are eager to travel but are yet to travel. Coupled with the growing influence of the Indian passport, more countries offering visa-on-arrival or visa-free entry and the growing aspirations of the booming middle class, this group is set to grow by leaps and bounds for many years to come. Anil Kalsi, Vice President, Federation of Indian Travel Agents “Increasing direct links between India and new destinations abroad, many of which are countries frequented by Indians, are fueling demand. Neighboring countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand are targeting India as their largest foreign consumer and overseas tourist arm,” officials said.
