National carrier Air India has opened bookings for select domestic flights from May 4 onwards and also for international flights from June 1.
- National carrier Air India has opened bookings for select domestic flights for travel from May 4 onwards
- Bookings for international flights for travel from June 1 onwards have also been opened
- On April 3, Air India had said it has stopped bookings, both domestic and international, till the end of the month
National carrier Air India has opened bookings for select domestic flights from May 4 onwards and also for international flights from June 1.
In a notification on its website, Air India said, ” In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting booking on all domestic flights for travel till 03rd May 2020 and on all international flights for travel till 31st May 2020″.
“Bookings for select domestic flights for travel from 04th May 2020 and for international flights for travel 01st June 2020 onwards are OPEN,” Air India said.
Air India further said that the situation is being constantly reviewed and the customers shall be updated regularly.
However, Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in a tweet clarified that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, so far, has not taken a decision to open domestic or international operations.
Puri also said that airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the government.
India has been under lockdown since March 25 to curb the spread of novel coronavirus. The first phase of the lockdown was from March 25 to April 14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 extended the lockdown till May 3.
All domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended during this period.
On April 3, Air India had said it has stopped bookings, both domestic and international, till the end of the month.
Four days ago, IndiGo had announced that it would start flight operations in a phased manner from May 4. The private carrier has been taking bookings on select domestic flights since then.
The first phase of the lockdown imposed in the country in view of the coronavirus outbreak was from March 25 to April 14 and the second phase that started on April 15 will end on May 3.
All domestic and international commercial passenger flight operations have been suspended during the lockdown period.
However, cargo flights and special flights authorised by aviation regulator DGCA have been permitted to operate during this period.
A notification on Air India’s website said: “In the light of the ongoing global health concerns, we have currently stopped accepting bookings on all domestic flights for travel till May 3, 2020, and on all international flights for travel till May 31, 2020.”
“Bookings for select domestic flights for travel from May 4, 2020, and for international flights for travel from June 1, 2020, onwards are open,” the national carrier added.
On April 3, during the first phase of the lockdown, Air India had announced that it had stopped bookings on both domestic and international flights till April 30.
More than 16,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus and the death toll due to it has climbed to 488 in India, according to the Union health ministry.
