Domestic airlines may log ₹17,000-18,000 crore net loss in FY26: ICRA

The domestic aviation industry is estimated to post around Rs 17,000-18,000 crore net loss in the current fiscal year on account of a likely lower passenger traffic, among other factors, ratings agency ICRA said on Monday. Earlier, the industry was projected to post a loss of Rs 9,500-10,500 crore during 2025-26. ICRA has also revised downward its forecast for domestic air passenger traffic growth to 0-3 per cent in FY26 on account of multiple factors, including Air India Boeing 787-8 plane crash in June this year and thousands of flights cancellations by IndiGo earlier this month, among others. ICRA has revised its forecast for domestic air passenger traffic growth to 0-3 per cent in FY26 against its earlier projection of 4-6 per cent, the ratings agency said. This revision reflects a slower-than-expected traffic growth in April-November period of FY26, which was impacted by cross-border escalations that led to flight disruptions and cancellations during the year, along with the (