When Vietnamese cariier Sun PhuQuoc Airways chose Ahmedabad over Delhi or Mumbai for its first scheduled Indian route, it highlighted a shift in how international airlines are approaching the country's market.Foreign carriers are adding connections beyond India's biggest aviation gateways, while Indian airlines are trying to route more international passengers through domestic hubs.
With Indian airports handling 81.13 million international passengers in 2025, according to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the opportunity is significant. According to Air India, nearly 25 million passengers travel long-haul to and from India annually. Close to 20 million are connecting passengers, and around 17 million transfer through foreign hubs rather than Indian airports.
