INDIA: As India fights the novel coronavirus, another step towards the exit plan has been expected as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has scheduled a meeting in the headquarters of DGCA with some airline officials on Thursday morning to discuss the matter with reference to the resumption of domestic flights in a calibrated manner.
The DGCA has called a meeting of the private airlines to chalk out the final SOP (Standard Operational Procedure). In order to maintain the social distancing, 2 officers from each airline would be allowed in the meeting.
On Wednesday, Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri, took to twitter to announce the recommencing of flight operation from May 25. “Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday 25th May 2020. All airports & air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from 25th May”, he tweeted. Alongside, he had informed that the standard operation flight procedures would also be followed.
All the domestic and international flight operations have been suspended since March 25 after the lockdown was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The domestic flight for medical services, domestic air services for ambulances and security has only been on purpose as per the requirements. All the other services have been halted since the outbreak of COVID-19
Till now, India has reported 112359 confirmed cases, with 3,428 deaths and 63,103 active cases of coronavirus. The post-coronavirus impact is yet to be seen in the economy as the world enters towards recession.
—- Tanmaya Das