Covid second wave: Airlines seek financial assistance from govt
AVIATION & AIRPORTS

Covid second wave: Airlines seek financial assistance from govt

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

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

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Real Estate

Anshul Singhal launches Vantrock with Rs 42 billion development plan

Real estate professional Anshul Singhal has launched Vantrock Real Assets Private Limited (VRAPL), a Mumbai-headquartered platform focused initially on warehousing, industrial and logistics parks. The company plans to develop approximately 11.5 million sq ft of assets, with an estimated gross development value (GDV) of Rs 42 billion (approximately USD 434 million) on completion.The first phase will cover around 3 million sq ft across the National Capital Region (NCR), Bengaluru and Pune, with an estimated development value of Rs 11 billion (approximately USD 113 million). Construction is sched..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Afcons wins CII award for biodiversity management

Afcons Infrastructure has received the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Award for Environmental Best Practices 2026 in the Biodiversity Management category for its work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project’s C-2 package.The award was presented at a ceremony in Chennai on 9 October 2026. It was received by Mihir Mishra, Vice-President, CPE, and Sumon Paul, Assistant General Manager, HSE, along with the Afcons team.The project adopted several resource recovery and waste management practices. These included recycling concrete washout waste to recover sand, aggregates a..

Next Story
Technology

Indian businesses lead globally in planned AI investment, says Autodesk

Indian organisations are moving towards deeper integration of artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies and sustainability into business operations, according to Autodesk’s 2026 State of Design & Make report. The fourth edition of the annual study highlights growing AI adoption, measurable outcomes from digital transformation and the role of sustainability in long-term business growth.The report found that 64 per cent of Indian organisations are approaching or have achieved their current AI goals. While 88 per cent believe AI will enhance their industry, up from 78 per cent in 2..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code