Noting the significant increase in the number of domestic passengers availing flights, India&rsquos Ministry of Civil Aviation has recently decided to allow Indian airlines companies to increase the number of flights.

Currently, the airlines were operating flights which equalled 60 per cent of their capacities.

According to a tweet by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, domestic carriers will be allowed to increase their operations from the existing 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the pre-COVID approved capacity.

The day the announcement to allow the increase in flight operations was made, the ministry noted that domestic airports handled 3,691 flights on that day.

It was on May 25 that domestic operations had recommenced with 0.3 lakh passengers, which increased to 2.06 lakhs on November 8, according to the Minister.

The Ministry has been gradually expanding the number of domestic passenger flights over the past few months.

Starting in May, with the COVID-19 containment rules in place, the airlines companies were allowed to operate flights equal to one third of their respective capacities from the pre-pandemic schedule. This was further increased to 45 per cent in June and 60 per cent in September. According to media reports, the ministry, on October 29, had said that the 60 per cent cap on the number of flights being operated by the airlines will continue. 

However, now they have decided to expand it to up to 70 per cent of the pre-COVID numbers, which comes as a good news for Indian travellers.