DGCA Extends Price Capping On Domestic Flights, Seating Operations To Continue At 80%

The price has been capped on domestic flight to keep the ticket prices in check due to the limited number of flights. 

In view of the second wave of the pandemic taking the country in its grip, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Monday extended the capping of fares on domestic flights till May 31 and retained the limited capacity at 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.

Last year, the aviation regulator had capped airfares after the flights resumed operations after almost two months following a lockdown during the first wave of coronavirus pandemic. In February, the DGCA increased the limit on the minimum and maximum price band by 10 percent and 30 percent respectively.

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“In partial modification of circular dated 26-6-2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the above subject regarding Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs IST of April 30. This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA,” it said in a circular.

In March, the aviation regulator allowed 18,843 flights per week from 108 airports to operate under the summer schedule. “It may be noted that 18,843 departures per week have been finalized to/from 108 airports. Out of these 108 airports, Bareilly, Bilaspur, Kurnool, and Rupasi are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines,” the DGCA said in a tweet. The decision was taken because of the limited occupancy in flights because of the Covid-19 situation.  DGCA has also banned international flights till April 30.  However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis.

While airport authorities have been asked to take actions against travellers flouting Covid-19 norms and also requested airlines to consider deboarding passengers who disagree with the Covid-19 preventative measures put in place to break the chain of transmission. “During the surveillance of some airports, it has come to notice that compliance of Covid-19 protocols is not satisfactory,” the regulator had noted in March.

Although there are any changes imposed to air travel due to lockdown-like measures implemented across different states in the country. People travelling to and from airports will be allowed to travel on showing the tickets which will be considered as e-pass.