MoCA Plans To Resume International Flights By July

Jun 08,2020

MoCA Plans To Resume International Flights By July

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri addressed India’s plans to resume international flight operations.It was reported that the Ministry of Civil Aviation is planning to execute this by July.

Resuming flight operations will depend on several factors
Domestic flights, which were inactive for two months, will see an increase in the number of flights, to recover costs. The resumption of international flights will also depend on the gradual easing of lockdown in the states. 

Top sources within the Ministry of Civil Aviation have told India Today TV that backchannel talks are on with states like Maharashtra to raise the number of flights from the current 25 departures and 25 arrivals. Airlines are currently operating on one-third of their summer capacity. Several states have imposed restrictions and are working to minimize the spread of the coronavirus.
Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri has indicated that domestic operations should touch the 50-60% mark for international flights to become viable if there’s an early resumption of international flights. Also, most coronavirus cases have been detected in metros from which most of India’s international flights operate.

Puri recently tweeted, “We are continuously monitoring the situation and will consider restarting international flights as soon as the situation normalizes a bit and poses no danger to our citizens. We will also have to consider that countries, where we intend to fly, are open to incoming foreign citizens.”

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs under ‘Unlock 1.0’ guidelines, international flight operations will remain suspended till June 30. The guidelines say that the resumption of international flights will be discussed under Phase 3 of ‘Unlock 1.0’.