India, March 19 -- There is nothing certain but the uncertain. This pithy saying currently sums up the state India's aviation sector finds itself in the early months of 2026.

Even as the country awaits the opening of the new Noida International Airport in Uttar Pradesh, a brand new competitor for Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), air traffic has taken a beating with escalating tensions in West Asia and airlines in the country find themselves in fire-fighting mode.

2025 wasn't the best year for the industry, to put it mildly. As a recent ICRA report pointed out the year witnessed a period of modest domestic air passenger traffic growth due to cross-border escalations, weather-related disruptions, travel hesitancy following the ...