There are many around the world who dreamed of something and kept running to achieve it. The Wright brothers dreamed of flying and made it happen through rigour and hardships. It was an unimaginable milestone during their times. To put things outside of their generally understood contexts is difficult as someone who has not lived outside of it. Air travel, which was more astonishing than any invention, is more common than humankind ever expected it to be.

Along with making air travel possible on a commercial level, there are airlines that make attempts to make it affordable to all folks. India, in particular, has made incredible progress in this area. Airlines are made for the people and do their best to stick to their motives of making travel comfortable on many levels, and continue to walk that path.

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Top 10 Airlines in India 2025

India has presented some of the most well-equipped and proficient airlines in the world. Following is a list of airlines that were ranked amongst the top 10 airlines in India.

1. Indigo

The biggest airline in India, Indigo takes its rightful spot at the first rankamongst the top 10 airlines in India. After their incorporation in 2005, they have won hearts around India, and then around the world through their services. They are one of the most trusted airlines in India and continue to evolve and improve their products and services while prioritising not only quality, but also safety. They have, for the past twenty years, dedicated their all to provide the public with affordable flights to nearly all corners of the country, connecting every region, big or small, far and wide.

Along with making travel convenient and safe for passengers, IndiGo also provides opportunities for the society through initiating and funding various programmes. They have enabled individuals from different social and economic stratas and helped them achieve their dreams. IndiGo also places heavy importance on sustainability and have switched from usage of one-time plastic items to biodegradable options. They fly more than 2200 flights a day and have an impressively low cancellation rate.

some key features of the airline:

• 405 Aircrafts
• IndiGo has, as a step to expand their global presence, declared Fujairah as the fifth UAE destination.
• They have inaugurated an office in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• IndiGo offers a wide range of services which include, and are not limited to:
  • Dining services
  • Medical assistance
  • Special/Disability Assistance
  • “Plan B”, which allows the customer, in case of cancellation or an extensive delay in their flight, to change, cancel, or process a refund with no additional charges.

Why to Choose Indigo ?

• IndiGo is one of the busiest airlines in the country with over 2200 flights flying everyday, with over 90 domestic and 40 international destinations. Some of their busiest routes are Mumbai-Delhi, Bangalore-Delhi, Kolkata-Delhi, Delhi-Hyderabad, and Mumbai-Chennai.
• IndiGo also enables cargo services through their extension airline named IndiGo CarGo. They allow documents, garments, machine parts, auto parts, and a lot more items.

2. Air India

Next on the list is the oldest airline of India. Air India was founded in 1932 by J.R.D Tata and has, since then, carried on his legacy of providing the country with an airline that makes affordable and quality travel possible. Air India has come a long way from its initial years and has expanded over an immensely large scale, making travel with them possible not only within the country, but also around the globe. Their services have left thousands of customers more than just satisfied and they are constantly on the road to evolution and improvement. Air India’s services have changed drastically over the years to suit changing lifestyles and has been met with compliments and commendation.

Air India has been around for a long time and throughout this duration they have made employment training available for thousands in the country. The airline’s positions in areas of cabin crew, pilots, finance, engineers, and cadets as well, are well honoured in the country and have become the beacon in the dark for many.

Few features of Air India:

• Air India’s fleet consists of 202 aircrafts

• They have optimised flight schedules to enable two-way connections between East India and West India.

• Air India proudly presents to their customers the vast variety of services that they provide; following are a few:
  • Indulging on-flight meals
  • Customer grievances
  • Air India gift cards
  • “Fog Care”, created for flights travelling to northern regions of India, where winter invites blankets of fog to settle. As pretty as fog is, it hinders flight schedules. Thus, Air India has made it possible to reschedule or cancel a flight with no additional cost.

Why to Choose Air India ?

• Air India’s flight schedule covers a huge part of India and a notable number of places outside the subcontinent. Some of Air India’s key routes are Mumbai-Delhi, Bengaluru-New Delhi, Hyderabad-New Delhi, New Delhi-Ahmedabad, New Delhi-Pune.
• Air India’s cargo services offer their services to both private and commercial customers, They are the largest air cargo operator in India, offering over 100 routes around and outside India. Under cargo, they provide a wide range of services which include:
  • Couriers
  • Mail
  • Valuables
  • Dangerous goods

3. Vistara

The name stems from the Sanskrit word “vistaar”, meaning “limitless expanse”. Vistara was one of India’s most well-reputed airlines. They were known for their impeccable and difficult to compete with services. Vistara commenced activities in 2015 and have impressed millions with the quality of their products and services.

Vistara was the first airline to have introduced premium economy class, providing a bigger range of segments that flyers can choose from. Vistara also was the third airline in India that made available full-service to their customers. Full-service flights provide a huge set of services that could be meals, blankets, earphones, etc, all under the charge of just the flight ticket.

• Vistara had a fleet of 77 Airbuses and 6 Boeings.
• Vistara, in 2024, ceased activities as an independent airline and merged with Air India. They now operate under Air India’s policies.
• Vistara proudly presented some of the best in-flight services amongst all the Indian airlines.
  • Premium economy class
  • Lounge for the business class
  • In-flight entertainment services.

Why to Choose Vistara ?

Vistara’s cargo oriented services were excellent and included a range of aiding options that ensured both the goods’ safety and customer satisfaction. Currently, Vistara’s policies align with Air India’s and function accordingly. Air India continues to keep the standard of services that Vistara provided and carries on its legacy of being one of India’s highest quality airlines.

4. SpiceJet

Headquartered in Gurgaon, SpiceJet is a low cost airline. They operate with the motive of making air travel available and affordable for all Indian citizens. SpiceJet connects remote areas of the country and continues to expand their reach to more parts of not only India, but also the world. SpiceJet flies to over 70 destinations including

domestic and international flights.

• SpiceJet has a fleet of over 70 aircrafts.
• SpiceJet is in an attempt to expand their area of activity and aim to double their fleet by the next year. The plan, so far, is operating smoothly.
• SpiceJet offers multiple services like priority boardings, web check-ins, and full in-flight meals in some flights.

Why to Choose SpiceJet ?

SpiceJet has a division established specifically for the transportation of cargo, named SpiceJet Cargo. Calculating from the number of cargo flights that SpiceJet schedules on a daily basis, SpiceJet helps transport nearly 600 tons of cargo each day. They have made booking their cargo services extremely convenient for their customer and have readied alternative options in cases of anomalies or errors.

5. Akasa Air

Akasa Air has been around since 2021 and has made a significant presence amongst India fliers. They are currently India’s fastest growing airline. They are an airline that are well-reputed and acknowledged on a global scale and ensure that the products and services provided remain consistently of a required quality.

Akasa Air commenced commercial operations in 2022 and have, since then, made quite an impression amongst the Indian citizens. Akasa Air was praised to be the first Indian airline to introduce sneakers made out of recycled rubber and have trainers for the crew. Akasa has taken multiple initiatives towards keeping the environment safe Their sustainability initiatives have resulted in them ensuring that they try to remain one of the most environmentally friendly options for passengers.

some key features of the airline:

• Akasa Air has a fleet of 27 aircrafts.
• Akasa Air is looking at expanding their airline in 2025 through the addition of 5-7 destinations, domestic and international included.
• Akasa has evolved over the years and, as one of the low-cost airlines inn the country, are always attempting to improve their performance. Their services include:
• Delayed luggage protection
• Offers and deals when flying with Akasa Air including flight, hotel and special offers.
• Cafe Akasa

Why to Choose Akasa Air ?

• Akasa Air is always open to growth and development. Some of Akasa Air’s very first routes are the Bengaluru-Kochi, Bengaluru-Mumbai, Chennai-Mumbai.
• Akasa Air also handles cargo, giving more service options to their customers. They provide a range of services as part of cargo services and help transport multiple objects such as:
  • Perishables
  • Human remains
  • Vulnerable cargo
  • Valuable cargo
  • Biological products

6. Air India Express

Air India Express is a subsidiary of Air India and is an equally well-reputed and qualified airline in India. As a subsidiary, a great number of their policies and regulations follow those laid out by Air India. Air India Express differs from Air India on the basis of their focus audience. Air India is a a more luxurious take on air travel, while Air India Express provides a travel option that is low-cost within a more affordable range.

Why to Choose Air India Express ?

• Air India Express has a fleet of over a 100 aircrafts.
• They provide a variety of services, including:
  • Warm meals
  • Extra seat (if required)
  • Xpress journey, which offers multiple offers like upgrades, hotel and destination bookings, no cost rescheduling of flights, etc.
• Air India Express does not own a separate cargo service. They are in alignment with Air India Cargo and operate side-by-side.

7. Alliance Air

Alliance Air is a government owned Indian airline. The airline was initially founded in 1966 as a wholly-subsidiary of Indian Airlines. In 2016, they initiated the move to enhance connectivity between different parts of the country with each other. This included connecting the rural with the urban.While Indian Airlines, later in the years, was sold to Tata Sons, Alliance remained not included as a part of the deal.

• Alliance Air has a fleet of 21 aircrafts
• There has been an introduction of three new flights that connect Manipur with various other places.
• Alliance Air introduced multiple routes with the intention of increasing tourism in these areas. These routes include Ahmedabad-Keshod, Guwahati-Rupsi, Imphal-Tezu.

Why to Choose Alliance Air ?

• Alliance Air provides cargo services. They believe that value-added services are the key to satisfied customers and ensure high quality performance to ensure that is provided to their customers.

8. GoFirst

GoFirst commenced their activities in 205 under the name of GoAir. They were a low-cost airline that provided for both domestic and international flights. They were a budget friendly airline that aimed to provide affordable and comfortable air travel. GoFirst was awarded “Best domestic airline for excellence in quality and efficient service” in 2008 by the Pacific Area Travel Writers Association.

• GoFirst has a fleet of 54 aircrafts.
• Based on fleet utilisation and various other basis of performance the airline was named the “Best Performing Airline”.
• During 2020, GoFirst operated around 39 destinations, out of which 29 were domestic and the rest 10 were international.

9. Star Air

Based in Bengaluru, Star Air is a regional airline that operates across the country. They commenced commercial operations in 2019. They have, since then, operated with the motive of offering affordable and cost friendly options for air travel. They fly to a total of 21 destinations within the country.

• The airline has a fleet of 8 aircrafts.
• Star Air is India’s largest private regional airline. The airline aims to expand more in their business and increase flight frequencies to its existing destinations.
• They provide helpful services that aim to improve the quality of their passengers’ flights.
  • They provide the option of online check-in reducing overall time taken.
• Star Air has multiple routes, some of which Bengaluru-Hyderabad, Jodhpur-Mumbai, and Nagpur-Belgaum.
  • Star Air alliance currently does not have solely cargo based services.

10. Trujet

Trujet, based in the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, was founded in 2013, and began operations in 2015. The airline was performing fairly well till 2018, travelling to 20 destinations in India, but started seeing a decline in their flight bookings in 2019.

The airline went through various financial issues, until they ceased all operations in 2022. Many attempts were made to revive the airline, however there were no further updates from the same after plans of restarting the airline by 2023.

FAQs About Indian Airlines

• Which is the safest airline in India?
  • IndiGo is ranked as one of the safest airlines not only in India, but globally
• Which airline is No 1 in India?
  • IndiGo stands proudly on its pedestal of the number 1 airline in India
• How many airlines are there for India?
  • India currently has 39 airlines.
• Do Indian airlines offer inflight entertainment?
  • There are airlines that provide inflight entertainment,like Air India, Vistara, and IndiGo
• Are meals free on Indian flights?
  • There are 17 airlines (excluding Vistara, since it merged with Air India) that offer full services, which may include free meals. While, there are Indian airlines that do not offer free meals.
• Which airline has the best on-time performance?
  • Akasa airline was ranked the best on-time performer amongst all Indian airlines
• Which is the cheapest airline in India?
  • IndiGo is one of the cheapest airlines that provide great quality service at affordable prices