India’s big airlines, IndiGo and Air India, fly mostly large jets between big cities. Smaller towns are often served by regional airlines, which fly turboprops and small jets on short routes. In 2026 the four main scheduled regional airlines are Star Air, Alliance Air, Fly91 and IndiaOne Air.
Together they carried about 11 lakh passengers in the first half of 2026, roughly 1.3 per cent of India’s domestic market, according to DGCA data. Here is who they are, what they fly and how they perform.
Regional Airlines in India at a Glance
| Airline | Aircraft | Passengers, Jan-Jun 2026 | Load factor, Aug 2026 | Cancellations, Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Star Air | Embraer E175, ERJ 145 | 5.03 lakh (0.6%) | 73.6% | 0.90% |
| Alliance Air | ATR 72-600, ATR 42-600, Dornier 228 | 3.47 lakh (0.4%) | 58.8% | 4.58% |
| Fly91 | ATR 72-600 | 2.41 lakh (0.3%) | 75.0% | 1.35% |
| IndiaOne Air | Single-engine aircraft | 0.10 lakh | 47.5% | 10.60% |
Sources: DGCA data as reported by Open magazine (January-June) and Construction World (August); aircraft from Star Air, NewKerala/IANS (Alliance Air), Fly91 and IndiaOne Air. Load factor is the share of seats filled.
What Is a Regional Airline?
A regional airline flies smaller aircraft on short routes, often from airports too small or too quiet for a 180-seat jet. In India the focus is on tier-2 and tier-3 towns. Many of these routes are supported by the government’s UDAN scheme, which pays airlines to keep fares low on new regional routes.
Regional aircraft come in two main types: turboprops such as the ATR 72-600, which are efficient on short hops, and regional jets such as the Embraer E175. For a bigger Embraer jet, see our A220-300 vs E195-E2 comparison.
Star Air
Star Air is the largest of the four by passengers, with 5.03 lakh in the first half of 2026. Its fleet page lists two Embraer jet types, plus several Airbus helicopters:
- Embraer E175: 12 business class seats in a 1-2 layout at 36-inch pitch and 64 economy seats in a 2-2 layout at 31-inch pitch, so there are no middle seats.
- Embraer ERJ 145: a smaller regional jet.
Its booking page lists about 30 cities, from Bengaluru, Mumbai and Hyderabad to smaller places such as Kolhapur, Bidar, Kalaburagi, Nanded, Jamnagar and Purnea. In August 2026 it cancelled 0.90 per cent of its flights, the lowest of the regional airlines.
Alliance Air
Alliance Air is India’s government-owned regional airline. It was founded in April 1996 as a subsidiary of Indian Airlines and was once called Air India Regional. After Air India was privatised, it began operating independently under AI Asset Holding Limited (AIAHL), a government-owned special purpose vehicle, according to IANS.
- Fleet: mainly turboprops, the ATR 72-600, ATR 42-600 and Dornier 228.
- Network: 55 destinations and more than 80 daily departures, with hubs in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai.
- UDAN: a leading airline under the UDAN scheme. Under Modified UDAN, the government plans to give it two made-in-India HAL Dornier aircraft.
Its weak spot is reliability: in August 2026 its load factor was 58.8 per cent and it cancelled 4.58 per cent of flights.
Fly91
Fly91 describes itself as a regional carrier focused on tier-2 and tier-3 towns, founded by industry veterans. It flies only the ATR 72-600, which it says suits most regional airports in India. Fly91 carried 2.41 lakh passengers in the first half of 2026 and had the best load factor of the four in August 2026, at 75 per cent.
IndiaOne Air
IndiaOne Air is the smallest. Based in Ahmedabad, it says it is the first scheduled airline in India to fly a single-engine aircraft. Its proving flight took place on 22 June 2022 and it received its air operator certificate on 24 June 2022. Its network is in eastern India, including Bhubaneswar, Kolkata, Jamshedpur, Raipur, Rourkela, Jeypore, Utkela, Cooch Behar and Bhogapuram (Visakhapatnam).
It carried about 0.10 lakh (10,000) passengers in the first half of 2026. In August 2026 its cancellation rate was 10.60 per cent, the second highest of all Indian airlines, but it reported no delays of more than two hours.
How Regional Airlines Compare With the Big Airlines
The gap is huge. In the first half of 2026, Star Air, Alliance Air, Fly91 and IndiaOne Air together carried about 11 lakh passengers. In the same period, the Air India Group alone carried 221.67 lakh, a 25.7 per cent share. Regional airlines matter less for their size than for where they fly: small towns such as Bidar, Jeypore and Cooch Behar.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a regional airline?
A regional airline flies smaller aircraft, usually turboprops or small jets, on short routes that link smaller towns with each other and with big cities. In India, regional airlines focus on tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Which are the regional airlines in India?
The main scheduled regional airlines in India in 2026 are Star Air, Alliance Air, Fly91 and IndiaOne Air. Together they carried about 11 lakh passengers in the first half of 2026, around 1.3 per cent of the domestic market.
Which is the biggest regional airline in India?
By passengers, Star Air. It carried 5.03 lakh passengers from January to June 2026, a 0.6 per cent share of the domestic market, ahead of Alliance Air with 3.47 lakh.
Is Alliance Air a government airline?
Yes. Alliance Air is government-owned. It was founded in April 1996 as a subsidiary of Indian Airlines and, after Air India was privatised, now operates under AI Asset Holding Limited (AIAHL), a government-owned special purpose vehicle.
Which aircraft does Star Air fly?
Star Air flies Embraer regional jets: the Embraer E175, with 12 business and 64 economy seats and no middle seats, and the smaller Embraer ERJ 145.
Which aircraft does Fly91 use?
Fly91 flies the ATR 72-600 turboprop, which it says suits most regional airports in India.
What is special about IndiaOne Air?
IndiaOne Air, based in Ahmedabad, says it is the first scheduled airline in India to fly a single-engine aircraft. It received its air operator certificate on 24 June 2022 and serves cities in eastern India such as Bhubaneswar, Jamshedpur, Rourkela and Cooch Behar.
Featured image: FlyingFuel graphic using a photo of a Star Air Embraer E175 by Sandeepthompil, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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