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. Minister Hardeep Puri said after May 3, the government could consider ending the restrictions on domestic and international flights.
All domestic and international scheduled Airlines operations shall remain suspended till 11.59 pm of May 3, the ministry said in a tweet.
“There were good reasons for the lockdown to be extended till 3rd May. We can consider lifting restrictions on both domestic and international flights thereafter. I understand the problems being faced by people who need to travel and request them to bear with us,” Hardeep Puri tweeted soon after.
The aviation sector has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Airlines have either slashed salaries or asked employees to go on a sabbatical without pay. Last week, there was some talk about resuming flights partially, but this may only happen next month after the extension of the lockdown.
“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.
All major airlines except Air India said they were taking domestic bookings for dates after April 14. Air India was 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. Only 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 how flying will be 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.Fliers are likely to be seated with a vacant space in between.Ticket prices are likely to go up after flights resume.
With flights operating at 50 per cent of their capacity, airlines may need to substantially hike ticket prices.