DGCA extends suspension of international passenger flight operations till July 15

On Friday, June 26, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation extended the suspension of international passenger flight operations until 11.59 pm on July 15. While earlier announcing the extension of the lockdown in containment areas across the country, the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated the ban on international flight operations will continue till June 30. However, this restriction will not apply to international cargo flights and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. Moreover, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis. While the domestic flight operations recommenced on May 25, international flight operations barring for repatriation flights remained suspended since the beginning of the nationwide lockdown. 

Nearly 1.4 lakh Indians repatriated

Approximately 1,40,000 Indians have been repatriated under the aegis of the Vande Bharat Mission since May 6 while more than 48,000 persons have flown out of the country so far. On June 25, 3866 Indian nationals returned to the country from abroad. Flights from Anu Dhabi, Bahrain, Muscat, Dubai, Auckland, Bangkok, Nairobi, Moscow, Manila, Toronto, Washington, Newark, London, Chicago, San Fransisco, Bishkek and Kuwait ferried back Indians to various parts of the country. Commenting on the possibility of resuming international air operations, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri stated that the domestic air traffic must reach about 50-60% and other countries should open up to international traffic without current conditionalities. He assured a calibrated decision would be taken when the situation evolved in that direction. 

Read: Coronavirus Live Updates: Assam's Guwahati Under Lockdown; Total Cases At 490,401

Crew management during COVID-19 crisis

The DGCA on Monday issued an addendum to its circular dated March 23 for the management of airline crew during the COVID-19 crisis. The amendment was done after considering the opinion of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. As per the addendum, the risk assessment for the crew shall be done by the concerned airline doctor and the crew will be advised for COVID-19 testing according to the ICMR guidelines.

Based on the risk assessment, it will be determined whether the crew should be subjected to 14 days of home quarantine or not. However, home quarantine is mandatory for a crew member who comes in contact with a novel coronavirus case during flight operations. Such information will be shared with the Airport Health Organization for coordinating with the state government. Moreover, all crew members shall be advised to download the Aarogya Setu app for monitoring their health status.

Read: Pakistan Govt Allows Repatriation Of 748 Stranded Indians From June 25 Via Wagah Border