The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has decided to allow foreign ad hoc and pure non-scheduled all cargo services to operate for two months or till further orders, whichever is earlier, to/from any airport in India where Customs/immigration facilities are available.
The permission will facilitate international flights, including international carriers, arriving in India carrying various materials, including oxygen-related, as the country is facing severe shortage of medical oxygen and other resources due to Covid-19.
As per an order of December 31, 2020, issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the operations of foreign ad hoc and pure non-scheduled freighter charger service flights have been restricted to six airports - Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai.
A letter by MoCA (a copy of which is available with BusinessLine) said that flights include charters and passengers to cargo flights, carrying medical supplies like raw materials, components and other materials required for domestic industry to handle Covid-19 situations.
The letter said that these operations will be subject to compliance of applicable safety regulations for carriage of such cargo. The DGCA may ensure that due priority is accorded in granting clearance of such flights, the letter said.