Domestic flights are set to resume on May 25 as announced by the government. Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday announced details of the recommencement of operations in a calibrated manner.

Here are all the details:

Metro to metro cities: One-third capacity of approved summer schedule allowed.

Metro to non-metro cities: One-third of approved summer schedule where the weekly departure is greater than 100.

Temporary changes to remain in effect until August 24.

Delhi-Mumbai: Minimum fare Rs 3500, max Rs 10,000

40% of seats to be sold at a fare less than the mid-point a band.

Only base fare capped. Taxes such as user development fee, GST will be extra.

No need to keep middle seats vacant.

Procedure for international travel likely to be tweaked.

Routes divided into 7 sections

Section 1: Flight duration less than 40 mins, Section 2: 40-60 mins, Section 3: 60-90 mins, Section 4: 90-120 mins, Section 5: 120-150 mins, Section 6: 150-180 mins, Section 7: 180-210 mins.

Flights in the country have been suspended since late March when the government restricted movement to contain the spread of coronavirus.

In an interview to CNBC-TV18, the civil aviation minister said that the fare cap was implemented to ensure air travel stayed affordable.

He also said that the idea to fix a floor and ceiling price was discussed with the airlines and there were many different opinions on the subject.

Puri reasoned the government's decision saying, "The fare caps are in place for the three months now. These are extraordinary measures in extraordinary times."

Earlier in the day, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) released the standard operating procedures (SoPs) for airports ahead of the gradual resumption of flights from May 25. The passengers should reach the airport minimum two hours prior to departure and only those passengers will be allowed to enter the terminal who have their flight scheduled in the next 4 hours. All passengers will have to wear protective gear such as gloves and masks, as per the SoPs.

The government on Saturday announced a set of reforms for the aviation sector but left most of the industry asking for more significant steps to help the industry COVID-19 pandemic.

First Published:May 21, 2020 3:38 PM IST