Domestic air travel may rebound by year-end, says Aviation Minister

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri expects the domestic market to return to full capacity by the end of the year, but sees little chance of international travel reopening anytime soon with border restrictions in place.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Puri said unless 50-55 per cent of domestic flights restart, there’s no business case for resuming international routes. Admitting the challenge in scaling up due to quarantine measures across states, the minister pointed out that India’s domestic operation was comparable with other countries including the US, UK and those in Europe.

Domestic flights resumed on May 25 but airlines are currently allowed to operate one-third (33 per cent) of their total capacity.