As the number of air passengers is continuously falling over the last three months due to increasing cases of COVID-91 amid the second wave, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has reduced the capacity that airlines can deploy on domestic routes to 50 percent of pre-COVID levels from June 1.

From today, the flights in the country are set to be costlier as the government has decided to raise the lower limit on domestic airfares from 13 percent to 16 percent. 

As per an order issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Friday, “Fare for domestic travel less than 40 minutes of duration will be hiked by Rs. 2,300 to Rs. 2,600, which is 13 percent of the current fare.”

Similarly, flights with duration between 40 minutes to one hour will have fares at a lower limit of Rs. 3,300, 60-90 minutes airfare will be charged at Rs. 4,000, 90-120 minutes at Rs. 4,700, 150-180 minutes at Rs. 6,100 and 180-210 minutes will cost Rs. 7,400.

This move by the Ministry is aimed at helping the airline industry amid a devastating second wave of COVID-19 which has significantly reduced air travel.

Earlier in February 2021, the Ministry had increased lower and up of domestic airfare by 10 percent to 13 percent.