India extends restrictions on domestic flights operations for 4 months

World Sunday 26/July/2020 14:31 PM
By: Times News Service
India extends restrictions on domestic flights operations for 4 months

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has decided to extend the existing restrictions on limited domestic flight operations and caps on air fares till November 24.

Currently, domestic flight operations are allowed to function at 45 percent of their total capacity.

Last month the ministry had cleared an increase in capacity of flight operations to 45 percent from 33 percent.

On May 21, it capped domestic flights to a third of their approved summer schedule.

The country's aviation regulator Director General of Civil Aviation had in May imposed fare limits for different bands. Domestic flights of less than 40-minute duration are supposed to have lower and upper limits of 2000 Indian Rupees (around 28 U.S. dollars) and 6000 Indian Rupees (around 85 U.S. dollars).

Flights of 150-180 minutes have 5500 Indian Rupees (around 78 U.S. dollars) and 15,700 Indian Rupees (around 224 U.S. dollars) as the lower and upper limits, respectively.

According to the ministry's directive, the airlines in the country should adhere to these upper and lower fares limits during the COVID-19 pandemic period.