As Navaratri rush surges, airlines get permission to fly at full capacity

India’s domestic
airlines will be allowed to fly passenger flights at full capacity without
restriction, the civil aviation ministry announced on Tuesday bringing to an
end to curbs that had significantly curtailed flight operations in the country.
The new rule comes into effect from October 18 (Monday).

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Airport operators
and airlines will, however, have to maintain necessary pandemic rules and “ensure
guidelines to contain the spread of COVID-19 are strictly adhered to and COVID-appropriate
behaviour is strictly enforced”. According to the ministry, the restrictions on
capacity were removed after a review of the demand for air travel.

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Last Friday, the
Mumbai International Airport saw heavy rush has thousands left Mumbai to travel
to their hometowns ahead of Navaratri. Several people missed their flights and celebrities such as Vishal Dadlani slammed the airport management for the situation. 

According to
government data, domestic airlines in India operated 2,340 flights on October 9
— 71.5% of the pre-COVID capacity. Domestic passenger air traffic rose 2–3%
between August and September, from 67 lakh to 69 lakh, according to credit
ratings agency ICRA.

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The Indian
government has been gradually easing restrictions on air travel with maximum
capacity allowed going up from 72.5% in August to 85% in September. Domestic
flight operations in India resumed in May 2020 after a two-month break after
the COVID-19 outbreak in March. Airlines were initially allowed to operate only
33% of all pre-COVID routes. Last December, the cap was increased to 80%.

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Occupancy in
domestic flights had to be curbed once again earlier this year when the second
wave of COVID-19 drove infections across the country. The Civil Aviation
Ministry had said that the decision had been taken “in view of the sudden surge
in the number of active COVID-19 cases…decrease in passenger traffic”.

It was only when
cases stabilized did the government increase the cap from 65% to 72.5% in
August.