Full-service carrier Vistara has allowed passengers to book an extra seat for personal comfort amid COVID-19 pandemic. The airline has issued instructions to travel agents regarding this. The move will ease the concerns of passengers who are worried about being seated next to another passenger in the aircraft.

Share Market Live

NSE

While currently, some flights are operating at 60-70 percent capacity, some are operating at even lower utilisation. However, it remains an unpredictable demand scenario given the sudden restrictions by states, the number of flights on a route, the day of travel, and general traffic on the route. For example, West Bengal announced on July 4 a ban on flights from cities like Delhi and Mumbai from July 6. Hence, some flights to Kolkata on July 5 might have seen high demand as several passengers preponed their travel plans.

The move will also help the airline in earning some ancillary revenue, Chief Commercial officer Vinod Kannan told reporters in a virtual press conference.

The airline, a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, is currently operating 35-50 flights on a daily basis using 25-30 percent of its capacity.

Currently, the cap on airfare has also created a uniform platform for all airlines including low-cost carriers and full-service airlines. While this may affect Vistara for some months, the airline is exploring opportunities in cargo and other ancillary revenue streams to aid the topline.