In first lot, family stranded after surgery, five-year-old flying solo

It was a special journey for five-year-old Vihaan Sharma, who returned to Bengaluru on Monday with the resumption of domestic flight services. Not only because he met his mother after three months but also because he made the journey alone.

The boy, who stayed with his grandparents in Delhi, was wearing a yellow jacket, blue gloves and a yellow mask. In one hand, he held a mobile phone. In the other, he clenched a placard saying “special category” passenger.

For thousands of passengers who boarded planes on the day India resumed air services after two months, it was a journey to remember.

“On the first practical opportunity to meet the family, I booked myself on a plane,” VK Tewari, 44, an employee of a private company in New Delhi, said after reaching hometown Lucknow. Amitesh Kumar Nag, a 40-year-old marketing executive with a multinational firm, returned to Patna with his wife and 10-year-old son three months after undergoing a surgery in Navi Mumbai.

“I underwent an operation at the Reliance Hospital at Navi Mumbai on February 27, and was discharged on March 18. Doctors advised me to come for a review after a week, and then the lockdown was announced and I was stranded in Mumbai,” said the cancer patient.

The civil aviation ministry allowed on Monday private jets and charter flights to operate on domestic routes, issuing an order that also covers helicopters and micro light aircraft.

According to guidelines, passengers should report at the airport, heliport or helipad at least 45 minutes before the departure time. “Vulnerable persons, such as very elderly, pregnant ladies, passengers with health issues are advised to avoid air travel. However, this will not apply to air ambulance services,” it said.