Domestic flights to resume in India from Monday in "calibrated manner"

World Wednesday 20/May/2020 17:18 PM
By: Times News Service
Domestic flights to resume in India from Monday in "calibrated manner"

NEW DELHI: Domestic passenger flights will resume from May 25 in a "calibrated manner", India's federal civil aviation minister said Wednesday.

Flight operations in the country were stopped in the last week of March after a nationwide lockdown was announced to break the chain of the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday (May 25, 2020). All airports and air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from May 25. SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by the ministry of civil aviation," India's civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri in a brief statement posted on social media said.

India is currently reeling under a lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the pandemic. The lockdown which was announced on March 25 has been extended until May 30.

Currently, a ban is in force on domestic and international flight operations. However, international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by Directorate General of Civil Aviation are exempted from the restrictions.