Covid second wave: Airlines seek financial assistance from govt

15 Apr 2021 CW Staff

Airline companies in India have asked the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to reduce the capacity allowed from 80% of pre-Covid to 60% and have also sought financial assistance as the second wave of Covid infections have hit the aviation industry hard.

A government official told a prominent media source that such a financial bailout packet for the aviation industry was highly unlikely.

The government had allowed Indian airlines to operate up to 80% of the pre-Covid capacity and was mulling further, increasing it with the number of passengers reaching close to 80% of pre-Covid in February.

While other airliners seek financial assistance from the government, IndiGo Airlines has not requested any such assistance.

Although airlines were headed back to pre-Covid levels until recently, with the second wave, things have gone back to square one, and the total domestic passenger count declined to as low as 201,000 on Monday, which is a decline of 35,000 passengers in a day. The airline sector had reached the levels of ferrying over 300,000 passengers in a day.

As cases have started to increase again, various states and union territories, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Odisha, Gujarat and Rajasthan, have mandated Covid-negative tests for passengers. States like Assam, Bihar and Punjab are conducting random checks on arriving passengers. Some states have also announced night curfew and weekend lockdowns, leading to passengers cancelling their trips.

According to the media, airlines are reporting a 20-50% decline in flight bookings and air travel amid a sharp spike in Covid-19 cases.

The second wave of the infection has come at a time when domestic airlines had started to see a surge in demand after the slump following the outbreak of the pandemic last year.

Image Source

Also read: Covid impact: Kolkata airport’s expansion project halted

Infrastructure Transport

18 Dec 2025

RVNL secures Rs 1.65 billion railway bridge project from North Eastern Railway

Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) has received a Letter of Award (LoA) from North Eastern Railway for a Rs 1.65 billion railway infrastructure project, strengthening its order book and showcasing its expertise in complex railway construction.The project involves constructing the substructure of a major railway bridge over the Gandak River, located between Paniyahwa and Valmikinagar stations. This is part of the doubling of the Gorakhpur Cantt–Valmikinagar railway section, aimed at improving line capacity and operational efficiency.The bridge will feature 14 spans of 61 metres each, built on double D-t..

Raebareli’s Modern Coach Factory rolls out 15,000th railway coach

The Modern Coach Factory (MCF) at Raebareli in Uttar Pradesh has achieved a major manufacturing milestone with the rollout of its 15,000th railway coach on December 15, the Ministry of Railways said.In a press note, the ministry said that MCF has already produced 1,310 coaches in the current financial year 2025–26, reflecting sustained high output at one of Indian Railways’ most advanced passenger coach manufacturing units.Established in 2007 at Lalganj in Raebareli district, MCF was built at a cost of Rs 31.92 billion with an initial annual production capacity of 1,000 coaches. The factor..

RailTel wins Rs 260.88 million IT infrastructure order from VOC Port

Navratna public sector undertaking RailTel Corporation of India has secured an IT infrastructure order worth Rs 260.88 million from V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOC Port), strengthening its presence in port-led digital transformation projects.According to an exchange filing dated December 16, 2025, RailTel has received a Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from VOC Port Authority for the implementation of advanced IT infrastructure at the port. The project is domestic in nature and is scheduled to be completed by August 15, 2026.The company said the order has been awarded in the normal course of ..