Even as the Centre has announced to commence the operations of the domestic flights from Monday, the Maharashtra government is struggling to take a call over allowing the operations in the state. The state government, in its notification which has come into effect from Friday, had prohibited airline and train services till May 31. The state may clarify over the matter by Saturday and issue a revised notification on it.
“No final decision has been taken yet, but a section of the officials are in favour of allowing the operations. We will also have to take a call on keeping the passengers under quarantine on their arrival,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, until Friday, 2,423 Indians who were stranded abroad owing to the lockdown in various countries, landed in Mumbai on 17 international flights as a part of the Vande Bharat initiative. Of these, 906 are Mumbai residents, while 1,139 from other parts of the state and 378 from other states. There will be 13 more flights that will land in Mumbai between Friday and June 7.
“The Mumbai residents are being quarantined in various hotels across the city, while those from the other parts of the state have been sent to their respective districts. The residents of other state are quarantined in Mumbai until further arrangements and permissions from their states to send them to the respective states,” said an official from Mantralaya.