India unlocks air travel on 383 routes with new rules
Govt will cap fares in 7 bands according to flight duration
NEW DELHI: India will reopen air travel on 383 routes across the country after a two-month gap, the government announced on Thursday, but allowed onethird of the operations beginning May 25 and set limits on fares that airlines can charge in the initial phase of this critical unlocking of swift long-distance travel.
Civil aviation minister Hardeep Puri said the government has identified seven bands based on flight durations, while announcing a set of norms for airlines and guidelines for passengers that outline how air travel is set to change in India in the aftermath of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak.
The fares — consistent for each band — will be capped till at least August 24. “[Because of the lockdown] we have been able to escape the situation other countries have found themselves in. [But] it is equally important that at some stage you will have to open up. Two months is a very long time...you have to balance between lives and livelihood; it is time to now open up,” Puri said at a press conference in New Delhi, a day after announcing the resumption of domestic flights.
According to data by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), flights in the first phase will operate on all routes, taking off from a total of 35 origin cities and landing in 39 destination airports. “The central government hereby directs that domestic civil flight operations are permitted from 25 May, 2020 to a limited extent... For operations from Metro to Metro cities, One-Third capacity of the approved Summer Schedule...,” the civil aviation ministry said in an order on Thursday.
The metro cities were identified as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The rule will be applicable for metro to non-metro operations as well.
Though there are several guidelines for social distancing
in airports and at embarkation and disembarkation points, the middle seat will not be kept vacant in the aircraft.
Lancelot Pinto, an epidemiologist at Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital, said social distancing should be a priority. “Even though the government is saying they will scan each passengers, many of the travellers will not show any symptoms as almost 80% people (Covid-19 patients) are asymptomatic.”
Puri, however, said it was not
possible to keep the middle seat vacant. “This is not an option being followed by any other country as well. We will keep our fingers crossed,” he said.
The seven bands identified by the government are: flights with duration of less than 40 minutes (Sector A), those with journey time of 40-60 minutes (Sector B), 60-90 minutes (Sector C), 90-120 minutes (Sector D), 120-150 minutes (Sector E), 150-180 minutes (Sector F) and 180-210 minutes (Sector G).