Airlines to operate flights to 40 countries as India resumes international air travel

Six Indian carriers will operate flights to 43 destinations in 27 countries, according to DGCA, while international carriers are approved from 40 countries.

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As per the DGCA, Indian airlines will increase their weekly flights by 10.1% to 25,309 in summer schedule 2022, compared to 22,980 the year before. As part of the summer schedule, 60 airlines from 40 countries will be permitted to fly 1,783 frequencies to and from India. This schedule is valid between March 27 and October 29.

Six Indian carriers have been allowed for a total of 1,466 overseas departures per week for the summer schedule. According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, they would fly to 43 locations in 27 countries.

According to the regulator, IndiGo increased its weekly domestic services by 10.4% to 11,130 for summer 2022 as compared to 10,084 for the same period last year. 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 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 Pondicherry are the new airports proposed by the scheduled airlines."

The Tata Group-run AirAsia India will operate 1,601 weekly domestic services a 16 per cent jump in summer 2022, it said. 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 per cent 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 per cent in summer 2022 as compared to summer 2021, it said.

There will be 158 domestic flights per week operated by FlyBig in summer 2022, up from 54 per week in summer 2021. 

With inputs from PTI