SpiceJet cuts weekly domestic flights by 31% for winter

SpiceJet has decreased its domestic services by 31 per cent to 2,995 weekly flights in the upcoming winter schedule as compared to 4,316 weekly flights that it got approved for the winter schedule of 2019, the aviation regulator DGCA said on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Vistara, another private carrier, has increased its domestic services by 22 per cent to 1,675 weekly flights as compared to 1,376 weekly flights for 2019 winter schedule, the regulator added.

The winter schedule begins on October 31 of a year and ends on March 26 next year.

Overall, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has approved 22,287 weekly domestic flights of Indian carriers for the winter schedule of 2021.

The number is four per cent less than the 21,307 weekly flights approved for the winter schedule of 2019.

From May 25, 2020 to October 18, 2021, Indian carriers operated domestic flights with restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The restrictions were lifted by the civil aviation ministry from October 18.

"Accordingly, winter schedule 2021 has been approved without capacity restrictions as submitted by the scheduled domestic airlines," the DGCA said on Thursday.

As per its data, Air India -- which was sold to the Tata Group earlier this month -- would operate nine per cent less weekly domestic flights in the upcoming winter schedule as compared to that of 2019.

Go First -- previously known as GoAir -- would operate 2,290 weekly domestic flights in the winter schedule of 2021 as compared to 2,308 weekly domestic services in winter schedule of 2019, as per the data shared by the DGCA.

A total of 1,393 domestic services of AirAsia India have been approved for the winter schedule of 2021, the data said, as compared to 1,345 domestic flights that were approved for the same period in 2019.

With little change, India's largest carrier IndiGo will operate 10,243 weekly domestic services in the upcoming winter schedule as compared to 10,310 weekly flights it got approved for the same period in 2019.

Regional carrier Star Air will operate 137 weekly domestic flights in winter schedule of 2021 as compared to 62 weekly services for the same period in 2019, the data mentioned.

Photograph: Amit Dave/Reuters