Direct Tier-2 connects, new airports mark return of domestic flights

The summer schedule for domestic flights this year will see a comeback for India’s civil aviation as the weekly flight number — 25,309 — will surpass the last pre-pandemic schedule for the first time.

In this proposed schedule, three discernible aspects tell the story of India’s air connectivity: direct connections for tier-2 airports, so far connected through hubs like Delhi or Mumbai; non-RCS connectivity for airports that were brought on to the aviation map through the regional connectivity scheme (RCS); and three new airports that could see flight operations for the first time.