Just after the national lockdown was extended for another two weeks, all domestic and international airlines have also been suspended till May 3.
This comes after the Railways also extended the suspension of passenger services till May 3 considering the extension of the national lockdown for another two weeks times.
All passenger flights will remain suspended till May 3, the civil aviation ministry said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended the nationwide lockdown to fight the spread of coronavirus.
“All domestic and international scheduled Airlines operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm of May 3,” the ministry tweeted.
The aviation sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Airlines have been the worst hit due to the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown as the business has come to a grindfing halt. Air Deccan had to shut its services owing to significant drop in business. Many airlines have asked their employees to take pay cut while other stringent measures could come into force once the airlines resume operations.
India had banned all international flights much before the lockdown while domestic travel was also suspended a few days later.
Now, with the lockdown being extended, government sources have said that all domestic and international airlines operations will remain suspended till May 3 midnight.
Since March 24, when the country was put on complete lockdown, 650 aircraft have been stranded at different airports across India.
Last week, there was some talk about resuming flights partially.
“As the virus is still spreading in India, we are thinking to permit domestic and international flight operations post April 14 in a staggered manner. Airlines are free to take bookings for any date post April 14,” an official was quoted as telling Press Trust of India.
“However, if the lockdown is extended post-April 14, airlines will have to cancel the tickets booked for that time period,” the official noted.
All major airlines except Air India said they were taking domestic bookings for dates after April 14. Air India is taking bookings for dates post April 30 only.
As revenues plunge, IndiGo announced a pay cut of up to 25 per cent for its senior employees and Vistara announced compulsory leave without pay for up to three days for its senior employees in March.
SpiceJet said salaries would be cut by 10 to 30 per cent and Air India has announced a 10 per cent cut in allowances for every employee, except cabin crew, for three months.
Cargo flights, offshore helicopter operations, medical evacuation flights and special flights permitted by the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are permitted to operate during the lockdown.
SpiceJet has given a glimpse of flights after the lockdown ends. Large crosses with black-yellow tape, laying the ground rules for physical distancing, will greet passengers on airport buses.
In photographs from shuttle coaches and air-stairs run by low-cost carrier SpiceJet, taped crosses are seen marking seats on which passengers will not be allowed to sit.
Every alternate seat in the front and sides will be kept empty to ensure adequate gaps between people, the photos show.
Numbered markings on air-stairs, used to board a flight, will show passengers where they are allowed to stand and which steps to leave empty.
Ticket prices are likely to go up after flights resume.
