As domestic flights continue to transport people despite the rising number of COVID-19 cases in India, International flight operations may be resumed by as early as mid-July, sources said on Friday.
The government will take a decision on the resumption after the domestic air traffic volume reaches 50 per cent, which is expected to happen around July 15, the sources added.
Before the pandemic, around 3 lakh people travelled by air every day and the government will proceed in accordance with this data.
After the domestic flight service resumed from May 25, around 65,000-70,000 people are flying by air daily while 30,000 people travelled by air on May 25. About 700 flights are operating daily on domestic routes.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has confirmed that the government will increase many domestic routes and flight frequencies in the coming week.
Addressing a press conference on flight operations, Puri stressed that the international flight operations will start only after other countries open their air space or borders.
"Any suggestion that international traffic has opened up and we are the only one not to open up, needs a reality check. The exact time when we will resume international flight depends on the other countries to be open to receive flights. In absence of a decision on resumption of international civil aviation we are left with no option but to continue what I call evacuation and repatriation flights under managed and controlled conditions," he said.
The minister further added that close to 2.75 lakh Indians, who were stranded in foreign countries, have been brought back to the country in flights and ships during the lockdown.