Domestic air traffic movement may near pre-Covid level this winter

Domestic air traffic movement will be close to pre-pandemic levels in the upcoming winter schedule.

Domestic airlines have received approval to operate 22,287 flights per week (around 3,183 flights daily) in the winter schedule, which begins on Sunday. This is just 4.38 per cent lower than the number in the winter schedule 2019.

Earlier in the month the civil aviation ministry had allowed airlines to operate at 100 per cent capacity and so for the first time since May 2020 airlines will be able to do so.

Currently airlines are operating at 70-75 per cent of the pre-Covid-19 capacity and a ramp-up to 100 per cent will be gradual, based on demand, industry sources said. On Wednesday airlines operated 2,251 domestic flights.

Among the major airlines, while Vistara is adding the highest number of flights (a 21.73 per cent increase over winter 2019), SpiceJet is seeing the highest drop. SpiceJet, which has run into payment disputes with lessors, will operate 30 per cent fewer flights than in winter 2019. IndiGo’s flight movement remains nearly flat compared to 2019. Its schedule accounts for 45 per cent of all departures in the winter 2021 season. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation said 22,287 weekly departures had been finalised from 108 airports.

Kushinagar and Sindhudurg are new destinations in the winter schedule, which runs from the end of October to the end of March.

In a post-results conference call on Thursday, IndiGo Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ronojoy Dutta said the airline would continue to expand its frequency on the existing routes and add new destinations. The airline also cited recovery in corporate traffic (which is at 50 per cent of January 2020 level) and better pricing power in October as positive factors for capacity expansion.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said: “We are expecting the Boeing 737 Max aircraft to return to operations very soon. As soon as Max returns to service, hopefully in the first half of November, our flight schedule will be revised and more flights will be added.”

A senior executive of a private airline said full capacity would be achieved over the next few months. Apart from demand, there are other factors. For instance, there are still Covid-19-related capacity restrictions at airports in West Bengal.

Ahmedabad airport will be undergoing a nine-hour runway closure between January and May due to upgrade works and this will limit the number of flights. Ongoing maintenance activities at Bagdogra (West Bengal) and Port Blair are affecting flights.

Speaking to a newspaper last week Vistara’s CEO designate Vinod Kannan said: “Vistara operated 200 flights daily before Covid-19 and now operates 180-190 flights. We expect to reach pre-Covid-19 levels or even breach it by the end of 2021 or early 2022.”