Domestic airlines ferried two million passengers in a month

New Delhi

According to Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation: “Till yesterday (June 24th) domestic airlines ferried 1.8 million passengers. However, these numbers are low if compared on a Year on Year basis with similar capacity.” Besides, Padhee said the ministry will collaborate with all actors of civil aviation sector to restore the confidence on air travel.

 “We will rework, renew and retune our strategies for the growth of the sector as we go along,” she said at the US-India Aviation Cooperation Program’s webinar. Till now the domestic passenger traffic averages 65-72,000 passengers a day. Over 700 flights a day are operating.

 Last week, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had said to ease domestic mobility and accelerate passenger traffic growth, the Centre will allow flights to more destinations. Nevertheless, these new flights and frequencies may be within the 33 per cent capacity cap, he had said.

 The domestic flight services resumed from May 25. Airlines are only allowed to deploy 33 pc of their total capacity.

 The US-India Aviation Cooperation Program is a bilateral public-private partnership launched in 2007.