NEW DELHI: International and domestic schedule passenger
flights
will remain suspended till 11.59 pm of May 17, with the lockdown getting extended by two more weeks. While significant exemptions given during lockdown 3.0 make it likely that domestic flights could partially resume between big cities from May 18, the Directorate General of
Civil Aviation
(
DGCA
) on Saturday “reiterated that foreign and domestic airlines shall be suitably informed about opening of their
operations
whether international to/from India or domestic respectively in due course.”
The DGCA issued a circular Saturday to extend both domestic and international schedule passenger flight suspension as per the extended lockdown timeframe till 11.59 pm of May 17. “This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA,” it said.
The government will soon decide when flights, starting with domestic, will resume. Airlines will be given time, like a week or 10 days, to resume operations. So even if domestic flights are to gradually resume from May 18, there is enough time to make that announcement and allow airlines to prepare for the same and enable passengers to buy tickets.
The
Airports Authority of India
(AAI) recently finalised its standard operating procedure for restoring schedule commercial flights as soon as the go-ahead for the game comes from the government. The state-run authority, which handles air traffic control services across India, expects 30% scheduled flights to get operational in the beginning between big cities like metros and state capitals and then the same will gradually be scaled up.
The DGCA has already issued instructions for social distancing at airports and onboard aircraft. So both the airlines and airport operators are prepared to start operations under the new norms. When flying resumes, passengers will need to get used to a “new normal”. This will include: wearing face masks throughout the journey and having temperature taken on entering terminal. Those found to be running temperature or showing some other sign of illness will be checked further by airport health officials.
Those found fit to fly will have to maintain social distance at check-in, security, boarding and even onboard with a middle seat vacant. Onboard experience will also be altered with low cost carriers not doing onboard sale for some time and full service carriers giving mainly packed meal boxes to minimise crew-passenger interaction.