Centre allows airlines to operate maximum of 65% pre-COVID domestic flights

New Delhi: The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on Monday increased the capacity of domestic flights to 65 per cent. The carriers have been operating only 50 per cent of their pre-COVID capacity since June 1 in accordance with a May 28 order of the ministry.

In a fresh order issued, MoCA modified its May 28 order stating that "50 per cent capacity may be read as 65 per cent capacity".

Monday's order also stated that the 65-per cent cap will be applicable till "July 31, 2021, or until further orders, whichever is earlier".

The ministry had said that the May 28 decision to bring down the cap from 80 to 50 per cent was taken "in view of the sudden surge in the number of active COVID-19 cases across the country, decrease in passenger traffic and the passenger load (occupancy rate) factor".

On December 3 last year, the civil aviation ministry allowed the airlines to increase their flights capacity from 70% to 80% of the pre covid levels.

After complete flight operation suspension for two months, the government permitted domestic flights from May 25, 2020, with 33% capacity of their pre covid levels which was then increased to 45% in June and so on.

However, passenger traffic started to fall from March 2021 due to which the airlines approached the government to decrease the seating capacity from 80% to 60%.

The government had earlier increased the upper cap of airfare to go up by around 14% due to the rise in fuel prices.