Airlines continued to struggle to fill seats in June despite operating only at about a fourth of their total capacity, as the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns continued to dent demand.

The airlines carried 1.98 million flyers in June, down 84 per cent from the year-ago period, according to the monthly data released by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation released on Friday. The passenger load factor of major scheduled commercial airlines stood between 54 per cent and 68 per cent, which means carriers were able to fill up to two thirds of the total seats in June.