The government has allowed airlines to increase flights up to 60 per cent of their total capacity, against the previous cap of one-third capacity, aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation said on Wednesday.
Indian airlines resumed domestic operations from May 25 after being grounded for two months due to the lockdown to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
A senior government official said data had proved that air travel was the safest mode of transport due to its controlled access and complete traceability at departure, transit, and arrival. Less than 1 per cent of people who took a flight since May 25 have been detected carrying the virus.
Moreover, overseas flights can resume only when a substantial portion of the domestic routes are functional. International routes depend on traffic feed from domestic flights.