IndiGo posts ₹2,536 crore Q4FY26 loss as forex, fuel costs and Middle East disruptions weigh

Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of IndiGo, fell more than 1% to their day's low of Rs 4,425 on the BSE on Wednesday after it suspended flights to and from Manchester from August 31, as prolonged airspace restrictions and rising operational expenses continue to weigh on long-haul services.The airline said the temporary suspension will lead to the return of one of the six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft leased from Norse Atlantic Airways, which were brought in to support its long-haul international expansion plans.In a statement issued on Tuesday, IndiGo said ongoing international airspace constraints have significantly increased flight durations, while a difficult cost environment has made operations on the route increasingly challenging. As a result, services between India and Manchester will be paused from August 31, 2026.The carrier had inducted six Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners on damp lease from Norse Atlantic Airways in early 2025 as part of its strategy to accelerate entry into European markets before the arrival of its own Airbus A350 aircraft. The Manchester service was among the first long-haul routes launched under this initiative.According to the airline, a combination of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, elevated aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices, severe airspace restrictions and currency volatility pushed operating costs well above original expectations.Abhijit Dasgupta, Senior Vice President for Network Planning and Revenue Management at IndiGo, said the route had received a strong response from passengers despite the operational difficulties."We inducted these wide-body aircraft on a short-term basis to fast-track our connectivity to high-potential long-haul destinations such as Manchester and witnessed very encouraging demand response," Dasgupta said."Unfortunately, longer flying times due to airspace constraints coupled with dramatically escalating costs compelled us to take the decision to temporarily discontinue our India-Manchester services," he added.The airline stressed that the suspension is only temporary and reaffirmed its commitment to growing its long-haul international network. Dasgupta said the positive customer response had strengthened IndiGo's confidence in the long-term viability of the Manchester route and its wider international expansion plans.IndiGo also said affected passengers will be notified in advance and assisted with alternative travel options or refunds, wherever applicable. The airline clarified that all of its other long-haul international services will continue to operate as scheduled.IndiGo Q4 snapshotIndia’s leading airline by market share reported a net loss of Rs 2,536 crore for the fourth quarter of FY26, compared with a net profit of Rs 3,067 crore in the corresponding period last year. Revenue from operations, however, edged up 1% year-on-year to Rs 22,438 crore.The airline said its operational performance during the quarter was affected by disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased 3.4% year-on-year to 43.6 billion. IndiGo shares have fallen 20% in the last six months and about 17% in the last 1 year. Sensex, Nifty today: Catch all the LIVE stock market action here (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

IndiGo shares rise despite Q loss Whats driving the rally

IndiGo airlines reported a ₹2,536 crore net loss in Q4FY26, but analysts remain positive on strong demand, fare growth, fleet expansion, cost savings and stock valuations

Shares of InterGlobe Aviation, the operator of budget carrier IndiGo, rallied as much as 5% to their day's high of Rs 4,634 on the NSE on Monday despite reporting a net loss of Rs 2,536 crore for the fourth quarter of FY26, compared with a net profit of Rs 3,067 crore in the corresponding period last year. Revenue from operations, however, edged up 1% year-on-year (YoY) to Rs 22,438 crore.The airline said its operational performance during the quarter was affected by disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs), increased 3.4% YoY to 43.6 billion.Passenger traffic stood at 31.6 million during the quarter, marking a marginal decline of 1.1% from a year earlier. EBITDAR, excluding foreign exchange impact, stood at Rs 6,435 crore, down from Rs 6,862 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. The EBITDAR margin narrowed to 28.7% from 31%.IndiGo shares: Should you buy, sell or hold?Goldman Sachs maintained its Buy rating and target price of Rs 5,200, implying an upside of 18% from current levels. The Wall Street major said the airline did not provide full-year FY27 capacity guidance, while elevated costs continue to remain an overhang. Goldman Sachs highlighted that the broader Indian aviation sector, barring IndiGo, continues to face weak profitability and balance sheet stress. The brokerage has retained its valuation at 10x FY28 estimated EV/EBITDAR.Jefferies maintained its Buy rating but lowered its target price to Rs 5,380 (22% upside) from Rs 5,500. The brokerage said the airline delivered a weak but largely in-line performance in the fourth quarter and expects the near-term outlook to remain challenging amid elevated cost pressures. For the first quarter, IndiGo has guided for mid-teen growth in unit revenue, largely driven by higher pricing, with demand so far remaining resilient enough to absorb part of the cost increases. Jefferies believes operating conditions will remain difficult in the near term, though the environment is likely to be even more challenging for peers.Motilal Oswal maintained its Buy rating on IndiGo with a target price of Rs 5,600, implying an upside potential of 27%. The brokerage said that despite near-term challenges from Middle East airspace disruptions, elevated fuel prices, rupee depreciation and higher damp-lease exposure, it remains positive on the airline's long-term growth strategy.It believes IndiGo is well positioned to benefit from India's strong domestic aviation demand and steadily expanding international network. Looking ahead, Motilal Oswal expects a gradual normalisation of international operations, a reduction in Pratt & Whitney-related aircraft groundings, ongoing fleet additions, and the deployment of A321XLR aircraft on international routes to support an earnings recovery.JM Financial maintained its Add rating with a target price of Rs 5,000, noting that capacity growth remained subdued due to the Middle East conflict. IndiGo reported ASK growth of 3.4% year-on-year to 43.6 billion in Q4FY26 and has guided for 3-4% ASK growth in Q1FY27, with most of the increase expected to come from domestic metro and leisure routes.The brokerage expects this, coupled with mid-teen PRASK growth on a favourable base, to support a recovery in unit economics. Capacity was significantly impacted by the West Asia conflict, with around 18% of total capacity affected and more than 160 daily international flights disrupted in March 2026. However, the airline indicated that capacity recovered to around two-thirds of normal levels in May and expects full normalisation by the end of June. JM Financial also highlighted that the number of grounded aircraft remains in the 40s but is likely to decline to the 30s by year-end, which could provide a meaningful boost to both capacity and costs.Elara Capital maintained its Buy rating and target price of Rs 6,020, arguing that the stock's roughly 25% decline over the past six months due to flight disruptions, the Middle East conflict, higher crude oil prices and rupee weakness has created an attractive opportunity. The brokerage believes the market is overly focused on near-term challenges while overlooking the benefits of a prolonged industry-wide capacity shortage.It highlighted that domestic advance fares are up around 17% year-on-year, while international advance fares have risen nearly 40%. Elara also noted that IndiGo reported an adjusted profit of Rs 25 billion in Q4FY26 despite a non-cash foreign exchange loss of Rs 48 billion. Additionally, competitor capacity reductions have been deeper than IndiGo's, supporting the airline's market share gains and pricing power. While the brokerage has lowered its FY27 EBITDA estimate by 7% to account for higher crude oil and rupee assumptions, its FY28 estimates remain broadly unchanged.(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

IndiGo MD Rahul Bhatia said FY26 was marked by an exceptionally challenging operating environment, which materially impacted its profitability

IndiGo slipped into a quarterly loss as forex losses, high fuel costs and West Asia-related flight disruptions hit profitability