Cong MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh welcomes resumption of domestic flights
May 21, 2020
New Delhi [India], May 21 : Congress Rajya Sabha MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh has welcomed the decision to resume domestic civil aviation operation from May 25 in a calibrated manner.
Speaking to ANI, former Union Minister and Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar said that bus service has already resumed, train services have also been started. "It was expected that fight services will also be resumed," he said.
"The way the number of COVID-19 patients is continuously increasing, it is definitely a matter of concern for all of us. People of ICMR and other departments will definitely take the remedial steps so that the infection can stop. The government should pay attention to this," Singh said.
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Wednesday said that domestic flight operations will resume from May 25 noting that all airlines and airports were ready but it is not viable to keep the middle seat vacant as it will lead to hike in the ticket price and prescribed social distancing norms would still not be met.
"Domestic flights will commence from May 25. Initially, only a small percentage of the total number of domestic flights will be operated. Then depending on the experience, we gain, we will increase the number of flights. It was necessary. We have to live with coronavirus now. All airlines and airports are ready," Puri told ANI.
India's aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has called a meeting with representatives of all airlines on Thursday morning to discuss the matter in respect of resumption of Domestic Civil Air Operations in a calibrated manner.
The meeting will be held at the headquarters of the DGCA and in order to maintain social distancing guidelines, two persons from each airline are only allowed in the meeting, said a DGCA official.
