Domestic Flights to Resume on May 25 in Calibrated Manner: Aviation Ministry

Domestic flight services are set to resume exactly two months after a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus was imposed.

New Delhi: In a huge relief for travellers, the Union Aviation Ministry on Wednesday announced that domestic passenger flight operations will resume in a calibrated manner from May 25, exactly two months after a nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus was imposed.

Detailed SOPs for passenger movement will be separately issued soon by the aviation ministry.

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

Recent reports claimed that low-cost airlines IndiGo, SpiceJet and GoAir, as well as Vistara had started taking bookings for domestic flights.

Earlier this month, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the fourth phase of lockdown with improved relaxation, the ministry had issued SOP to all aviation stakeholders, including carriers and airline operators.  It had also listed a few precautionary measures for flyers like mandatory Aarogya Setu app, face masks, no cabin baggage.

All domestic flights were cancelled on the night of March 24 when the coronavirus lockdown was announced across the nation to contain the rapid spread of the viral disease. However, cargo flights for medical evacuation and essential services, as well as special Air India flights to repatriate Indians stranded abroad have been operating.