(TAN): Air India has stopped bookings for all flights till April 30 as it waits for the government to take a call on the nationwide lockdown that ends on April 14, reports said.
“Air India bookings are now closed till April 30. We are awaiting a decision post April 14,” an official from the national carrier was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.
The airline closed advance bookings for both domestic and international flights till the end of this month, while tickets beginning May 1 are available, as per reports.
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A senior Air India official reportedly said it would not be commercially feasible for the carrier if passenger turnup is low.
“If we accept bookings for flights and there are very poor passenger loads for some flights (of April), then it may not be commercially viable to operate those flights. In that case we will be liable to refund money to passengers of cancelled flights. We are awaiting decision on lockdown before resuming sales of tickets for flights in April,” the official was quoted by the Times of India as saying.
According to reports, this came after India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the airlines can take domestic bookings after April 14, unless the present lockdown is further extended. He also said the ministry will consider resuming international flight services on a case-by-case basis from April 15, reports said.
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He reportedly added that the ministry is proceeding based on the understanding that the lockdown is till mid-April.
“Now, what do the airlines do as a part of their contingency planning and to prepare for the future, it is entirely up to the airline. There is no directive from us. But as someone who is always an eternal optimist, I am hoping that from April 15, the flights can at least start-if not everything then in a calibrated manner,” Puri was quoted by Indian Express as saying.
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