Domestic flights start from May 25

Mukesh Ranjan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 20

The government today announced that all domestic civil aviation operations will resume from May 25, but in a calibrated manner. The standard operating procedures, which will be issued tomorrow, may not stipulate keeping the middle seats vacant during flight operations.

Announcing the decision, Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said domestic commercial passenger flights would resume in a calibrated manner from May 25, two months after the services were suspended due to Covid-induced lockdown in the country on March 25.

Ministry officials said a formal announcement of the SOPs would be made by the minister tomorrow.

Recently, Puri had said he would not recommend a seating arrangement with the middle seat kept vacant, as airlines were already running on thin margins. He had also mentioned that the flights under the Vande Bharat mission had not kept the middle seats vacant.

Sources said some of the busiest routes might see flight operations. However, it is to be noted that the country’s two busiest airports — Delhi and Mumbai —- are in red zones.

Industry sources, meanwhile said, the aircraft parked across the country would require reassessment for utilisation as per the protocol that will be released by the government. They said most airlines had planned to initially utilise only about 30 per cent of their fleet and take further decision based on the demand.

SOP for passengers to be announced today

Likely guidelines

• No cabin baggage
• Questionnaire on travel history
• Web check-in
• Reach airport two hours before departure
• Three rows in plane to be vacant for medical emergency
• Thermal screening upon arrival, departure
• Airports to have isolation zone