(TAN): India has extended the suspension on all domestic and international passenger flights until May 31 as the central government prolonged the nationwide lockdown by another fortnight.
However, flights serving medical and security needs, and those especially allowed by the government, are exempted from the ban, the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
“All domestic and international air travel of passengers, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes or purposes as permitted by MHA,” the ministry tweeted.
India had stopped flight services from March 25 as part of the lockdown that it imposed in three consecutive phases to slow the spread of COVID-19. The ban on commercial flight operations was extended until 2359 hours IST of May 17 by the Director General of Civil Aviation’s office earlier this month.
After the Indian Railways partially resumed passenger train operations on May 12 with 15 pairs of special trains connecting Delhi to major stations across the country, the government had reportedly said it could resume operations of domestic passenger flights by May 18.
The civil aviation ministry had said it was preparing for the services to restart immediately after it got the final nod. India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Sigh Puri had indicated that the government could introduce certain changes in the way of travel.
“Preparations to restart civil aviation operations are in place. As soon as a decision is taken in this regard we will be able to take off immediately. We also foresee changes in the way people travelled thus far. A calibrated reopening can happen after the lockdown,” he tweeted.
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Also, the ministry of civil aviation had circulated a draft standard operating procedure for flight resumption based on social distancing protocols.
“There are reports in the media regarding the SOP issued by MoCA for restarting of aviation post lockdown. It is clarified that suggestions were sought on a draft discussion paper from airlines & airports. The suggestions have now been received. The final SOP is yet to be issued,” the ministry said in a tweet.
These developments had reportedly increased expectations of the industry reeling under huge losses that passenger flight operations might restart soon.
India has so far reported nearly 96,169 cases of infection including 3,029 deaths, data from Johns Hopkins University showed.
