Domestic Flight Operations Suspended From March 24 Midnight Due to COVID-19 Outbreak: Aviation Ministry
The move by Aviation Ministry comes a day after the Indian Railways announced the suspension of all passenger and suburban services till March 31. The decision was taken after the number of coronavirus cases in India recorded an alarming spike. By the time this report was published, a total of 415 cases were confirmed in India, whereas, the death toll had reached eight.
New Delhi, March 23: Domestic flight operations across India will be suspended from midnight of March 24, announced the Civil Aviation Ministry on Monday. The planes offloading cargo would be exempted, the Ministry said in its statement. The restrictions will come into effect from the midnight of March 24. All scheduled airlines will have to land their passengers at the airports by 11:59 pm on Tuesday. Catch all live updates related to coronavirus outbreak in India and other parts of the world.
"Operations of domestic scheduled commercial airlines shall cease with effect from midnight on March 24. The restrictions shall not apply to cargo flights," the Aviation Ministry said. The decision, it said, is based on the coronavirus pandemic which has hit India as well.
Update by PTI
The move by Aviation Ministry comes a day after the Indian Railways announced the suspension of all passenger and suburban services till March 31. The decision was taken after the number of coronavirus cases in India recorded an alarming spike. By the time this report was published, a total of 415 cases were confirmed in India, whereas, the death toll had reached eight.
While the Aviation Ministry did not mention the date till which th flight services would remain suspended in its initial announcement, it is expected that the embargo would remain at least till March 31. Restrictions, in the coming days, would be eased only if India recorded a decline in the number of new COVID-19 cases.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 23, 2020 04:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).