The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is learnt to have told the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) that meal service can be resumed on flights with less than two hours of journey and the crew members need not wear coveralls but should continue to wear gloves, masks and face shields.
MoCA had sought inputs from the Health Ministry for amending the existing regulations that have barred airlines from providing food to passengers whose air journey is less than two hours. The ban on serving food on flights of less than two hours duration came into effect on April 15 during the devastating second wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. The ministry had allowed meals for flights flying for more than two hours, provided the airlines use disposable cutlery and serve only pre-packed food.
The health ministry has said that the crew members no longer need to wear coveralls on the flight but they should continue wearing gloves, masks and face shields. The scheduled domestic flights were resumed on May 25 last year following two months of nationwide lockdown and in-flight meals were also allowed under certain conditions. During the second wave of the pandemic, the civil aviation ministry, on the suggestion from the health ministry, allowed meals for flights flying for more than two hours, provided the airlines used disposable cutlery and served only pre-packed food.