Coronavirus lockdown: Will inform about air travel resumption in due course, DGCA tells airlines

Civil aviation regulator DGCA on Saturday told the airlines that they will be “suitably informed” in “due course” about the re-opening of operations on international and domestic routes.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation circular also formally informed the airlines about the government's decision to extend the nationwide lockdown to combat COVID-19 up to May 17, directing them to suspend operations till 2359 IST on May 17.

“This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA,” the circular said.

“However, it is reiterated that foreign and domestic airlines shall be suitably informed about reopening of their operations whether international to/from India or domestic respectively in due course,” the DGCA said.

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India had stopped scheduled international commercial passenger flights on March 22 and domestic flight operations on March 24 midnight as it stepped up the fight against COVID-19. The DGCA extended the ban on flights, making it co-terminus with the duration of the nationwide lockdown.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed civil aviation authorities to make effective use of Indian airspace to reduce the flying time and help airlines save costs at a time the sector is passing through a tough time due to the lockdown.

At present, airlines cannot travel in straight lines and have to skirt around defence establishments that may come en route. PM Modi directed the civil aviation authorities to sit with the Department of Military Affairs to work out a mechanism for effective use of the Indian airspace.

The Prime Minister also asked the Civil Aviation Ministry to expedite privatisation of six more airports in a bid to make them more efficient and generate more revenue for the national exchequer.

In February last year, Adani Enterprises had won bids to operate six airports -- Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Thiruvananthapuram, Mangaluru and Guwahati.

In December, the Airports Authority of India had recommended the public-private partnership model for development of airports in Amritsar, Varanasi, Bhubaneswar, Indore, Raipur and Trichy.

The government has also set in motion the process of making the functioning of the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) more efficient in a bid to reduce processing time for various licenses and permissions.

“It was also decided that all reform initiatives taken by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the organizations under it should proceed in a time-bound manner,” a PMO statement had said on Friday.