The Ministry of Civil Aviation on Saturday said that resuming international flights depended on other countries opening their international borders.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said the Government will start thinking on resumption of international passenger flights in mid-July when it expects the domestic air traffic to reach 50-55 per cent of pre-Covid levels. Upper and lower limits on airfares may be extended beyond August 24 depending upon how the situation turns out. 

Addressing a press conference along with Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola, the minister said that no decision on resuming international flight operations has been made so far. “The exact time when we will resume international flight depends on other countries to be open to receive flights,” Puri said.

This could be due to the fact that depending on the Coronavirus situation of different countries, they could be having different procedures and restrictions on flight services which ultimately affects the international flights operating to and from India.

“Any suggestion that international traffic has opened up and we are the only one not to open up needs reality check. The exact time when we will resume international flight depends on the other countries to be open to receive flights,” he said. “...In the absence of a decision on resumption of international civil aviation which will depend on other countries opening up, we are left with no option but to continue what I call evacuation and repatriation flights under managed and controlled condition,” the minister added. Puri noted the domestic traffic will reach the pre-Covid level of 2019 by the end of this year. “It is the most optimistic projection for any country,” he mentioned.

Futhermore, Kharola said both ends have to be ready and there has to be traffic if international operations to begin. “There is a significant amount of traffic between India and North American continent. We may think of opening flights on a case to case basis,” he said.

Kharola also said that upper and lower limits on airfares may be extended beyond August 24 depending upon how the situation turns out.

The government resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after nearly two months of suspension to combat the coronavirus outbreak, but placed lower and upper limits on airfares depending upon the flight duration.

It had said on May 21 that these limits would be in place for a period of three months. .. “Depending on how the situation turns out, the fare band may have to adjusted beyond that (August 24) also. But right now, it is only for three months,” Kharola said

India suspended international and domestic passenger flights on March 23 and March 25, respectively. While domestic passenger services resumed on May 25, international passenger services continue to remain suspended in India.

As per the ministry, close to 2,75,000 Indians have returned to India. While 1,09,000 returned under the Central Government’s Vande Bharat Mission, 1,43,000 were brought back by private carriers. Additionally, around 4,000 returned by ships.