By Te Raja Simhan Anees

Copyright thehindubusinessline

Airlines could see further pressure on loads and yields on US routes with Trump administration introducing $100,000 fee for H-1B visas.

Over 7 million passengers flew between India and US (two way) in FY 2025. A majority of them flew one stop via West Asian or European hub.

Air India is the largest carrier on the India-US market, followed by Emirates and Qatar Airways. Air India’s business has been impacted more than others due to the closure of Pakistan airspace that requires its aircraft to take longer routes. Among US carriers, United and American Airlines operate daily flights to Delhi.

According to aviation industry sources, airlines have seen softening of demand on India-US routes in the past several months due to tightening of visa norms by the Trump administration.

“Indian tourist arrivals into the US have been impacted this year. Student movement into US and Canada too has been lower. The H-1B visa fee will depress the demand further,” an aviation industry source said. An executive of a West Asian airline said there will definitely be an impact on business on India-US routes but it’s vast global network will allow it to tap demand for other markets.

Indian tourist arrivals in US in first three months of CY 2025 were flat. March saw a decline of 3.6 per cent and June saw an even bigger decline of 8 per cent.

Meanwhile, some travel firms saw an increase in bookings with the imposition of $100,000 on H-1B visas.

“There has been a notable increase in last-minute bookings to the USA since this morning. This increase in bookings for same-day or next-day travel is atypical for a long-haul segment,” a MakeMyTrip spokesperson said.

A travel agent from Chennai said that he had received nine enquiries since this morning for tickets to travel to the US immediately.

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Published on September 20, 2025