Empty skies, emptier flights: Flying on coronavirus-clipped wings

Indian airlines struggled to fill seats in the first week after domestic operations resumed on May 25, according to the data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
 

The central government had initiated nationwide lockdown and grounded flight operations from March 25 to contain the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, which has affected millions worldwide. Domestic air passenger traffic declined 43.39 year-on-year during the January-May period, compared to the same period last year.

 

Airline executives said demand was primarily unidirectional. The data from travel firms show that over 90 per cent of flight bookings were for one-way trips and on non-metro routes, indicating little demand for business travel.