Heena Sharma Blog

Issuing the guidelines, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the domestic and international flights (under the Vande Bharat Mission ) and passenger trains have already been allowed in a limited manner and their operations will be further expanded in a calibrated manner. However, other international air travel and metro rail services will continue to remain shut at least till July 31. State governments cannot ban inter-state and intra-state movements of people and goods. Cinema halls, gymnasiums, swimming pools, entertainment parks, theatres, bars, auditoriums, assembly halls and similar places continue to remain shut. Social, political, sports, entertainment, academic, cultural, religious functions and other large congregations are also continue to be prohibited. Dates for opening of these will be decided separately, based on the assessment of the situation, the MHA said. Read More

Arrival and departure of as many as 80 flights were cancelled at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International airport on Monday, the first day of phased resumption of domestic flights after a two-month suspension, officials said. Earlier, the flight schedule had been done for all airports, including those in West Bengal (where flight operations will now start from May 28), Maharashtra (which has allowed only 25 takeoffs and 25 landings in a day) and Chennai (where incoming passenger flights are restricted to 25). Domestic flight operations had been suspended soon after the imposition of the first nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus in March 2020. Read More

To ensure affordable air ticket fares for passengers and at the same time maintain financial viability for airlines in the times of the coronavirus pandemic , the government has capped air fares for three months. This is the first time since fares were deregulated in 1994 that a government has decided to interfere with pricing of air tickets. While announcing the resumption of air transport from March 25, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said there would be fare caps and floor prices based on flight duration. How are the flight fares going to be fixed? The flight routes have been divided into seven bands based on the flight duration. The first band, which would have its specific lower and upper limits of air fare, will consist of flights that are of less than 40 minutes. Second, third, fourth and fifth bands of upper limits would be of flights with durations of 40-60 minutes, 60-90 minutes, 90-120 minutes and 120-150 minutes, respectively. Read More

In a major relief for flyers, India is set to resume domestic flights from May 25 onwards, after almost three months. However, the civil aviation ministry has issued standard operating procedures (SOPs), which will make travel experience very different passengers. From fare hike and slower processes at airports, to the use of authorised taxis, here is what is going to change for passengers as they fly in the time of coronavirus. Departure guidelines for passengers 1. Aarogya Setu app will be mandatory for all passengers (children below 14 years of age are exempt from this) 2. Passengers not showing 'Green' on Aarogya Setu won't be allowed to enter 3. Newspapers and magazines will not be provided in the terminal building/lounges. Read More