India’s youngest airline, Akasa Air, is gaining ground while larger rivals reduce schedules under pressure from higher fuel costs and disrupted international routes. According to Cirium data cited by Bloomberg, the total number of flights operated by India’s four major airline groups fell nearly 6% year over year in March and April. IndiGo cut flights by 4.5%, Air India’s full-service carrier by 7.5%, and Air India Express by 17.1%.

Akasa moved in the opposite direction. The low-cost carrier expanded capacity by 13.2% over the same period and operated 10,109 flights, equal to about 4.7% of all domestic and international flights by Indian airlines. In March, Akasa carried 5.4% of domestic passengers, compared with 63.3% for IndiGo and 26.2% for the Air India Group.

Its smaller scale has become an advantage. Akasa can redeploy aircraft more quickly than larger carriers with tightly scheduled networks and heavier international exposure. The airline currently operates 38 Boeing 737 MAX jets and has placed firm orders for another 226 aircraft.

For India’s aviation market, the shift matters. IndiGo and Air India still dominate, but Akasa is becoming a more visible challenger. If fuel costs, closed airspace and softer demand continue to pressure incumbents, the young carrier may have room to capture more share.