Airlines can take international flight bookings after April 14 on case-by-case basis: Hardeep Singh Puri

Union Minister Hardeep Singh has said that airlines can start taking international bookings after April 14, unless the current lockdown is further extended. "We can start resumption of international flights, case by case basis, after that (lockdown is revoked)," the minister said in a video conference, according to PTI. Puri added that any international flights to evacuate Indians stranded abroad will operate only after 14 April, once the current lockdown is lifted.

To recall, the lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narnedra Modi to contain the spread of contagious covid-19. As of now, the lockdown will continue till April 14 as the government has not announced an extension so far.

Civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, who was also present with Puri on videoconference, said that resuming international flights to foreign countries will be done on a case to case basis by the government. "The government has take holistic view. When conditions become safe in other countries we can start flights," Kharola added.

Over 1 million people have been tested positive across the globe with coronavirus. In India, the number has crossed 2000 already. 

Earlier, Puri had said that there was no need for any contingency plan for the aviation sector owing to the coronavirus outbreak. 

“No one has asked for any contingency plan or a bailout package even though issues like bringing aviation turbine fuel (ATF) — which forms 40 per cent of the operational cost of an airline — under GST was discussed. We meet stakeholders on a regular basis to understand their issues,” said Puri, after attending the CEOs forum deliberations at the Wings India 2020 summit.

The meeting also discussed matters like aviation financing and leasing, capacity building, aviation safety and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), among other things.