Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri at a B-school event announced that regular flight operations will resume like pre-COVID era by the end of December or by the beginning of 2021. Puri during the event stated that flight operations resumed on May 25, which was shut for almost two months due to the onset of COVID-19 in the country. After resuming airline services in May, 3000 passengers every day. In Diwali, airlines served 2.25 lakh passengers.
The minister also highlighted that civil aviation is operating at a 70 percent capacity in a careful manner and going forward they are aiming for 80 percent soon. The Minister further said that by December 31, 2020, or by early January, the airlines will resume its normal operations, as reported.
Puri also shared that when civil aviation functions are completely operational, there will be no need to strengthen the existing safety protocols, reported the New Indian Express. “It requires professional people to set up those protocols as well as self-discipline,” he said.
Under the air bubble agreement flights from the UK, Japan, and North America are operating to and from India continue to operate to and from India. Although, there have been no international airlines operating to and from Africa or South America from India.
Meanwhile, scheduled international flights still continue to be banned in the nation although the government has been operating special international flight services under the Vande Bharat Mission since May through bilateral air bubble pacts signed with various countries.
Domestic airlines can now operate at 70 percent of their pre-COVID capacity instead of 60 percent as approved previously, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced last week.
“Domestic operations recommenced with 30K passengers on 25 May & have reached 2.06 lakhs on 8 November,” Puri said via a tweet.