Domestic Flights Operation to Resume in India from May 25, Says Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri

Last updated May 22, 2020

New Delhi : Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced on Wednesday that domestic flights will start operating in the country from May 25, 2020. In this regard, information has been sent to all airlines and airports.

Puri said that the flights will be operated with complete security arrangements. Earlier on Tuesday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the central government cannot take a single decision on resuming operations of passenger flights. State governments should be willing to allow these services under the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday 25th May 2020.
All airports & air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from 25th May.
SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by @MoCA_GoI.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 20, 2020

Passenger flights have been suspended since the Modi government imposed a lockdown on 25 March to prevent the spread of the corona virus in India. Puri tweeted that the Civil Aviation Ministry or the central government alone cannot take a decision on resuming domestic flights. Under the spirit of cooperative federalism, the states from which these flights will land or take off should be ready to allow civil aviation operations.

“We are absolutely ready and we could start domestic civil aviation at any time with a little bit of notice. Obviously, if we get the green signal today, it will take two or three days for the airlines to open bookings and for us to calibrate the number of flights we can start with,” he further mentioned.

He emphasised the domestic flight operation resumption decision has to come on consultation with state governments. Note that since the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March, all domestic and international flights have been grounded. The lockdown has since then been extended thrice and flights operations have remained suspended till then.