India winter schedule lifts Indore, Goa flights shift to Mopa

Published on Oct 20, 2025, 9:51 am CDT

4 min read

Key points

Winter schedule begins October 26 across India
Indore restores Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jammu, Nashik
Indore-Sharjah moves to daily morning timing
Air India Express shifts Goa flying to Mopa
Plan longer buffers in first two weeks

Impact

Who Is Affected: Travelers flying via Indore and those booking Indore-Goa or Indore-Sharjah connections.
What Changed: New winter schedule adds domestic spokes, increases frequencies, and shifts Goa operations to Mopa.
Traveler Actions: Recheck tickets for airport code GOX vs GOI, allow extra connection time, and monitor schedule updates.
Outlook: Stabilization expected after initial two weeks as airlines settle into winter timings and airport flows.

India's winter schedule starts on October 26, bringing more domestic and regional options from Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport (IDR) in Indore and a shift in Goa operations for Air India Express. IndiGo is restoring several spokes from Indore, Air India is adding domestic frequency, and Indore-Sharjah upgrades to a daily morning pattern. Air India Express will route its Indore-Goa operation to Manohar International Airport (GOX) at Mopa. Travelers should reconfirm airport codes on tickets and plan slightly longer connections during the first two weeks as timings bed in.

Indore connectivity and winter timing

Indore's winter push begins October 26 with additional daily flying by Air India to Delhi and Mumbai, plus IndiGo's return of spokes to Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jammu, and Nashik. Local authorities expect operations to top 100 daily movements as runway works progress toward round-the-clock use, which would further improve reliability. For regional access, the added spokes restore one-ticket connectivity beyond the metros, reducing backtracking and overnight stays.

Indore's link to the Gulf strengthens as the Indore-Sharjah flight shifts to a daytime schedule and moves daily from October 26, improving onward connectivity at Sharjah International Airport (SHJ). The new timing departs late morning from Indore with an afternoon return from the UAE, replacing the previous overnight pattern.

Latest developments

Air India says it will add 170-plus weekly flights across domestic and short-haul international routes for the Northern Winter schedule effective October 26, supporting added capacity into the metros that Indore connects through. While the carrier's release is systemwide, the incremental seats at Delhi and Mumbai should ease peak-hour constraints and create more reliable same-day connections for central India.

Separately, Air India Express has announced daily Indore-Goa service aligned to the winter change. The operation is shifting to Manohar International Airport (GOX) at Mopa, the newer North Goa field, rather than the older Dabolim International Airport (GOI). Check your confirmation carefully for GOX, since timing and ground transfer options differ from Dabolim.

Analysis

The winter cutover on October 26 is the first wave to watch. Spoke resumptions from Indore, combined with a stronger morning Sharjah bank, should open cleaner, single-ticket links across northwestern India and the Gulf. Expect a short learning curve as crews, ground handlers, and travelers adjust to new times and gates.

Build in practical buffers during the first two weeks after October 26. For domestic-to-domestic connections at Indore, target at least 75 to 90 minutes to absorb minor delays and new-gate walks. For domestic-to-international through Delhi or Mumbai after originating in Indore, aim for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, especially if switching terminals. For Goa trips, verify whether your itinerary uses Manohar International Airport at Mopa or Dabolim. Mopa sits well north of Panaji, so arrival-to-resort times can differ materially from Dabolim; plan transfers accordingly and reconfirm pickup points.

Indore-Sharjah's move to a daytime schedule should help missed-connection rates and reduce fatigue for leisure and small-business travelers. Meanwhile, Air India's broader winter capacity adds slack into metro banks, which can improve on-time performance when weather or air traffic control programs ripple through the system.

Final thoughts

With India's winter schedule taking effect on October 26, Indore travelers gain restored spokes, better Gulf timings, and a revised Indore-Goa operation into Mopa. Recheck your airport code, allow extra buffer during the first weeks, and you will benefit from the added options as the India winter schedule settles in.