Windfall for foreign airlines touching Kol as flyers choose Dubai, Bangkok for connecting flights
Times of India | 8 December 2025
Kolkata: A week of chaotic disruptions in IndiGo's domestic operations triggered a dramatic shift in the way international travellers planned their journeys out of Kolkata. With multiple cancellations and last-minute rescheduling leaving passengers stranded, many — especially those headed to Europe, the US, and SE Asia — bypassed Indian hubs altogether and opted to transit through foreign cities instead. The move sent demand surging for Gulf and SE Asian carriers, which emerged as unexpected winners of the ongoing turmoil.
The most striking change was among UK- and US-bound travellers who would typically fly to Delhi, Mumbai, or Bengaluru to catch long-haul international flights. Now, many chose to leave India on the first available reliable international service — even if that meant paying significantly more and travelling via Dubai, Doha, or Singapore.
Archi Bagchi and Nilakshi Kotnis, both headed to London, were among dozens caught off guard when their Kolkata-Bengaluru IndiGo connection was cancelled on Sunday. The couple planned to take an Air India flight to London from Bengaluru. But after yet another round of uncertainty, they tore up their itinerary and booked an Emirates connection via Dubai instead. "We realised there was no point travelling within the country to take an international flight now," Bagchi said.
One flyer, who was bound for Singapore via Delhi, saw his Kolkata-Delhi flight cancelled on Saturday. Rather than risk further disruption, he flew to Bangkok on Sunday and connected to Singapore from there. Travel agents across Kolkata said the demand for international departures from the city — regardless of the final destination — rose sharply since Wednesday, when the domestic disruptions began.
This shift benefited Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad, and Qatar Airways, as well as SE Asian airlines like Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways. "Dubai was always popular, but now the demand has grown even more," said Debjit Dutta of Impression Tourism Services and the state president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators. For those travelling to Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Korea, routing through Singapore or Bangkok emerged as the preferred alternative.