(TAN): India has suspended all domestic and international flights until the midnight of May 3 in a bid to stem the spread of the pandemic.
The move came after India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of the 21-day nationwide lockdown until May 3, reports said.
“All domestic and international scheduled airline operations shall remain suspended till 11:59 pm of 3 May 2020,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation tweeted.
However, the restriction reportedly does not apply to cargo flights and flights specially approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, such as those being operated to help foreign citizens return to their respective countries. Passenger airlines such as Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet were roped in by the government for carrying critical medical supplies within India and overseas, a report said.
“There were good reasons for the lockdown to be extended till 3rd May. We can consider lifting restrictions on both domestic and international flights thereafter. I understand the problems being faced by people who need to travel and request them to bear with us,” India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted.
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According to reports, the country banned domestic air travel from March 25 and international flights from March 23 – which translates to 40-day suspension for domestic flights and 42 days for international flights.
Earlier this month, Air India had stopped taking bookings for all flights till April 30 as it waited for the government to take a call on the extension of the nationwide lockdown, reports said.
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