Coronavirus Lockdown: Domestic Flights To Resume in a Staggered Manner Post April 14

The authorities is prone to permit home and worldwide flight operations in India in a staggered method publish the 21-day lockdown interval which is slated to finish on April 14, officers mentioned on Sunday.

The aviation sector has been hit onerous by the coronavirus pandemic. On Sunday, Air Deccan turned the most recent casualty of the disaster because it introduced indefinite suspension of flight operations and requested all workers to go on sabbatical with out pay.

“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,” a senior Civil Aviation Ministry official mentioned.

“However, if the lockdown is extended post April 14, airlines will have to cancel the tickets booked for that time period,” the official famous.

All main airways besides Air India are taking home bookings for dates publish April 14. Air India is taking bookings for dates publish April 30 solely.

As it has despatched all workers on sabbatical with out pay, Air Deccan is just not taking any bookings and it’s not clear when it might restart operations.

As revenues have fallen considerably, IndiGo has introduced a pay minimize of as much as 25 per cent for its senior workers and Vistara has introduced a obligatory depart with out pay of as much as three days for its senior workers in March.

SpiceJet has acknowledged that its workers’ salaries could be lowered between 10 to 30 per cent and Air India has introduced a 10 per cent minimize in allowances for each worker, besides cabin crew, for the approaching three months.

GoAir has minimize salaries of its workers, laid off its expat pilots and launched depart with out pay for workers on a rotational foundation.

India has imposed a 21-day lockdown from March 25 to curb unfold of the coronavirus pandemic. Consequently, all home and worldwide industrial passenger flights have been suspended for this time interval.

However, cargo flights, offshore helicopter operations, medical evacuation flights and particular flights permitted by Indian aviation regulator DGCA are permitted to function throughout this lockdown.