The government allowed domestic airlines to operate with no capacity restrictions from October 18. The airlines, currently operating at 85 per cent capacity from September 18, can fly at pre-Covid domestic service levels.
The announcement came after reviewing the current pandemic situation and considering the growth in domestic air travel. The civil aviation ministry said that the decision was taken after considering the demand for air travel vis-a-vis the current status of scheduled domestic flights. The airlines flew 2307 flights carrying 266,000 passengers on Monday.
The airlines, who had been demanding that capacity restrictions and caps on airfare be removed, were relieved with the order. Domestic air travel has increased over the months, as Covid infections decrease, passenger confidence increases, and people explore more domestic destinations with limited outbound travel.
