New Delhi:As many as 2.81 lakh domestic passengers traveled between 25 to 31 May, the first week of flight resumption in the nation amid the coronavirus lockdown.
The data released by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday stated that the period between May 25-31 saw 2.8 lakh domestic flyers while the two-month flight suspension in the country led to a 43.4 per cent fall in domestic flyers in January-May, 2020.
Notably, May 2019 observed 1.2 crore domestic flyers. The aviation regulator in its statement said that the passenger load factor in the month of May 2020 has shown a sharp decline due to limited air operations because of coronavirus outbreak.
Read:|DGCA asks airlines for inspection of plane door seals to avoid mid-air pressurization snags
According to DGCA, Indigo, India's largest airline carried 1.42 lakh passengers and had a domestic market share of 50.6 per cent between May 25 and May 31.
The national carrier Air India had the market share of 17.3 per cent in the last week of May while it had 57.2 per cent load factor in the same period, said the DGCA.
The aviation regulator said that the budget carrier SpiceJet had the highest aircraft occupancy at 57.2 per cent in between May 25-May 31. Indigo's aircraft occupancy was at 52.6 per cent, Air Asia India at 46 per cent and Vistara at 44.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, in a big relief to the airlines on Monday, the Bombay High Court allowed all flight operators to fill their middle seats on flights, in compliance with the May 31 circular issued by the Civil Aviation ministry, on the condition that flyers must wear 'wrap-around' gowns and standard operating procedures issued by the DGCA are followed.
Domestic flights in the country resumed operations from May 25 in a calibrated manner.
The airlines are permitted to function up to only 30 per cent of their capacity.
Read:|Around 870 chartered flights transported about two lakh passengers during lockdown, says DGCA
