Govt allows 7.5% more domestic flights

NEW DELHI: The government has allowed airlines to operate marginally more — 7.5% to be precise — domestic flights. Airlines can now operate 72.5% of their pre-Covid domestic capacity, up from 65% allowed on July 5, 2021.

During the pandemic, the aviation ministry has been regulating both domestic fares and capacity that are tweaked as per the Covid situation. With that, the second wave ebbing, the domestic capacity — reduced from 80% of pre-Covid to 50% on June 1 — was first increased to 65% on July 5 and now to 72.5%.

The entire travel industry, including airlines and hotels, realise that their survival rests on domestic travelers as international travel could take a long time to open up both ways — Indian tourists being allowed in most countries and foreign tourists being allowed into India.