Airlines increase weekly domestic flights by 10.1% for summer 2022: DGCA

Indian carriers have increased their domestic services by 10.1 percent to 25,309 weekly flights in the upcoming summer schedule as compared to 22,980 last season, aviation regulator DGCA said on Friday.

IndiGo has increased its domestic flights by 10.4 percent to 11,130 weekly services for summer 2022 as compared to 10,084 weekly services in the corresponding period last year, the regulator noted.

The COVID-19-induced travel restrictions have badly affected the Indian aviation industry in the last 24 months. However, with COVID-19 infections decreasing, air travel has been picking up in the last couple of weeks.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the summer schedule of Indian carriers has been finalised after a virtual meeting held last month on airport slots.

The summer schedule begins on March 27 and ends on October 29.

The DGCA said, "It has been observed that 25,309 departures per week have been finalised to and from 112 airports. Out of these 112 airports, Gondia, Ziro and Puducherry are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines."

The Centre-owned Alliance Air will be operating 17.6 per cent more weekly domestic flights (982 flights) in summer this year as compared to 835 services in the corresponding period last year, the regulator noted.

The Tata Group-run AirAsia India will operate 1,601 weekly domestic services -- a 16 percent jump -- in summer 2022, it mentioned.

It said SpiceJet will be operating 14.2 per cent more weekly domestic services in summer 2022 as compared to the same period in 2021, it mentioned.

Air India, which was sold last year to the Tata Group, has increased its weekly domestic services for summer this year by 10 percent to 2,456, it noted.

Vistara and Go First will be increasing its weekly domestic services by just 6.7 per cent and 1.9 percent in summer 2022 as compared to summer 2021, it mentioned.

Regional carrier FlyBig will operate 158 weekly domestic flights in summer 2022 as compared to 54 weekly services in summer 2021, it noted.