The Ministry of Civil Aviation is contemplating to resume international flights by this month itself. Sources told The Hindu that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are weighing the options for recommencing international flights, especially to Europe, the U.S. and Canada.
However, any decision in this regard would be taken only in accordance with the lifting of travel restrictions imposed by other nations to control COVID-19. Several Non-Resident Indian (NRI) organisations and expatriates have been demanding resumption of flights to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations.
Huge demand
“Numerous people have been approaching us to restart the international flights,” Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, tweeted on Monday evening.
Sources said some nations such as Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE have lifted lockdown measures, but have not lifted the curbs on foreign residents.
Flights are subjected to prior approval from the General Authority of Civil Aviation in Saudi Arabia and passengers have not been allowed to enter Kuwait. Sources said NRIs holding valid residence permits in the UAE have approached the Ministry of Civil Aviation. India is willing to fly out people having valid documents to countries which are allowing foreigners. But due to the travel curbs, evacuation flights to the UAE are going empty from India, the Minister said.
Already more than 50,000 Indians have been evacuated through the Vande Bharat mission from first week of May.
However, the number of passengers ferried by outbound flights is about 13,000 till now.
Gradual opening
Meanwhile, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has laid down guidelines for the fifth phase of the lockdown to facilitate the gradual and calibrated reopening of the aviation sector.
About 50% of the domestic flights will resume operation in the coming days.
