Domestic Flight Rules Change From This Date; Check Rules Before On-Boarding

Considering the festive season, the government has taken a big decision as it has allowed domestic flights to fly with 100 percent capacity. 

Flights With Full Capacity

Earlier, because of the Coronavirus-induced lockdown, domestic flights, which have been flying at 80 percent capacity for a long time.

But now, with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation’s decision, they will be able to fly with 100% capacity from today i.e. 18 October.

Regarding this, the ministry has issued a circular, announcing to remove restrictions on the ability to operate in domestic flights. 

In simple words, now passengers will be able to travel on the full seat as before. 

It seems that the airlines will benefit from this announcement made in the festive season.

This will also benefit the passengers as they will have now have the convenience of traveling during the festival.

Restrictions In Place

Here, it is noteworthy that the order also mentioned that apart from strictly following the Covid-19 protocol, some other restrictions like minimum and maximum fare caps on domestic flights will remain in force. 

Apart from this, food will be served nor sold in a travel time of less than 2 hours. 

From the start of the second Covid wave, food service and its sale are not allowed on domestic flights of less than 2 hours duration.

After being closed for two months due to the Covid-19 lockdown, domestic passenger flights were resumed from May 25. 

The Aviation ministry did not allow airlines to operate more than 33 percent of their domestic services pre-Covid-19. 

Although, by December 2020, it was gradually increased to 80 percent.

Significantly, international passenger flights in India are suspended since 23 March 2020 due to the global pandemic Coronavirus. 

Later on, the Indian government has allowed special flights under an ‘air bubble’ arrangement with around 28 countries. 

As part of this arrangement, airlines of one country are allowed to operate limited international passenger flights in the territory of the other with specific restrictions.