New Delhi, August 10, 2020: Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said that since the reopening of domestic flights on the country amid coronavirus pandemic, more than 5 million passengers have availed the service in a total of 56,792 flights. Domestic flights were resumed on May 25 as part of the government’s phased relaxation of lockdown, better known as ‘Unlock’.
“More than 5 million domestic passengers have flown to their destinations on 56,792 flights since calibrated domestic operations began on 25 May 2020. 93,062 passengers flew on 911 flights on 9 Aug alone,” the minister noted in a press briefing today.
Last week, the Civil Aviation ministry revised the guidelines for quarantine and general health protocols for flying within the country, in view of a surge in air travel as the festive season closes in.
The ministry ruled that all passengers need to undergo thermal screening at the entry point of airports and only if they are asymptomatic, will they be allowed to board the flight.
Last month, Civil Aviation Minister Puri had also reiterated that the flight ticket prices were unlikely to increase as the capping would continue till the industry reaches normal demand. As of now, airlines are allowed to deploy only about 45 per cent of the pre-pandemic capacity on domestic routes.
