After a directive to restart on domestic flights from the Indian aviation management, Airlines are resuming operations in a limited manner starting today Monday 25 May. Expectations are high for occasional unusual delayed flights and quarantines for flyers.
The revamp of flights have seen some airports cut down more flights from the original schedule forcing them to cancel extra flights leaving open the possibility of disputes with passengers over refunds. States like Maharashtra agreed to permit limited flight operations after initially asking for more time to organize.
Earlier on, in a meeting with airline chiefs, officials at India’s civil aviation ministry said airlines can only operate 25 departures out of the Mumbai airport. This makes a total of 50 flight movements, less than a fourth of the flight schedule approved by the Centre last Thursday and a tenth of the usual number of daily flights Mumbai used to handle before the Coronavirus crisis. Flights to Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Vishakapatnam and Vijaywada have also been cut.
This sudden move will mean resumption of normal flight operations after a two-month break but will also increase inconvenience for hundreds of passengers who had booked tickets in the last few days. Some face the prospect of cancelled tickets for which they will get no refund. Travel companies estimated a total of Rs 100 crore worth of tickets have been sold since Thursday.
National Airlines will have to sit and decide the allocation of slots with the aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and airport operators. The ministry also said the airlines can operate just 10 departures from Kolkata and Bagdogra in West Bengal from May 28; 15 departures from Telengana, and just 20% of the normal schedule to Vishakhapatnam and Vijaywada from May 26. The airline chiefs were told that a fresh set of instructions for Tamil Nadu will be given later tonight.
A senior airline official expressed his frustration with the process. “There is no way we can do it,” he said, adding it will create a “logistical nightmare for airlines, airports and customers”.
The Centre’s move came after states such as Maharashtra, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu opposed the resumption of flights from citing the rising cases of Covid-19 and the rescue work that needed to be done in Kolkata after cyclone Amphan.
Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray tweeted earlier on Sunday that he has communicated to the aviation minister that Mumbai should, for now, initiate “minimum possible domestic flights” like for medical emergencies, international transfers, student travel and travel on compassionate grounds.
But two hours before the evening briefing briefing, Mumbai airport sent an email to all airlines saying they had to file a schedule for 45 departures.
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