Domestic carriers cancelled 7,030 flights till May-end: Minister of State for Civil Aviation informs Parliament

Domestic airlines have cancelled 7,030 scheduled flights this year till May 31, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol informed the Parliament.  

The carriers were to operate 4,56,919 scheduled departures in 2024, according to data submitted by the ministry to the Rajya Sabha on July 22. 

In a written reply, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said 6,413 flights were cancelled in 2022. The count rose to 7,427 in 2023. This year till May 31, the number of cancellations stood at 7,030. 

Replying to a query about Digi Yatra, the minister said it is planned to be introduced at the airports across the country in a phased manner. 

Since its launch, more than 2.5 crore air travellers have used Digi Yatra — which is based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). It provides for contactless, seamless movement of passengers at various check points at airports, the minister said in his reply. 

“All the passenger data is encrypted and stored in the passenger’s smartphone wallet and shared only for a limited time duration with the origin airport where passenger ID needs to be validated. The data is purged from the system after 24 hours of the departure of the flight,” the minister said.