EXCLUSIVE: Minister HS Puri on resumption of India’s international flights, repatriation from Australia, Air India

May 29,2020

EXCLUSIVE: Minister HS Puri on resumption of India’s international flights, repatriation from Australia, Air India

In a comprehensive interview with SBS Punjabi, India’s Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri talks about the challenges thrown by the COVID-19, Vande Bharat (repatriation of Indians stranded overseas), Air India’s financial distress and his transition from an Indian diplomat to minister.

“We’ll have to increase the number of repatriation flights from Australia. I’m clear on that,” India’s Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri says assertively in wake of the first phase of flights from Australia to India this week.

Shedding light on the complexities his ministry is faced with in current times, Mr Puri says if Air India had "unlimited resources,” i.e., then India’s repatriation mission, Vande Bharat, would have got the 10,000 Indians stranded in Australia home sooner.

Mr Puri admits he is asked frequently about the resumption of international flights to and from India.

“From a recent web interaction, I have been quoted out of context that I had said India will start international flights in August or September. I had actually said, ‘why wait till then? If possible, we’ll resume them earlier’. India is moving in a step-by-step manner. First came Vande Bharat, then domestic flights and international flights will be next,” he says.

Touching upon Air India’s financial distress, the former Indian diplomat also tries to dispel people’s expectation of executing the Vande Bharat evacuation mission at Government of India’s cost.

“I don’t think by any definition evacuation means a free passage, rather it means ‘to facilitate’. Vande Bharat’s expense had to be borne by some entity and Air India is already in distress. Our airlines and airports have had no revenue in the last two months. We pump in Rs 600 crore a month to keep Air India afloat. If there’s no revenue, we’ll have to pump in more money, otherwise it’ll be grounded,” says Mr Puri.

Last week, SBS Punjabi had reported how Air India does not align with an advisory issued by Mr Puri’s ministry advising all airlines to fully refund the money for tickets booked during the lockdown period of March 23 to May 3.

Customers of Air India in Australia had told SBS Punjabi that they find this “unfair” and “discriminatory”.

Asserting that the directive applies to all airlines, whether it is Air India or a private operator, Mr Puri adds that if any airline has collected money before May 3, “they’ve done something which wasn’t allowed”.

“The lockdown was declared on March 23, so how can anyone make bookings in April? We had made it very clear to airlines that no ticketing should be done as long as the lockdown is in force and if they do, it is at their own risk. If there are individual cases with bookings during the lockdown, they will get a refund. They are welcome to approach me or my ministry if they fall within this definition,” he adds.

In this interview, Mr Puri also talks about the resumption of India’s domestic flights, how executing rescue operations as a diplomat is markedly different from overseeing them as a minister and the challenges of providing wind beneath the wings of an airline in descent.