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Delhi, Mumbai airports run 282 flights on Day 1 as international ops resume after 2 years
India on Sunday resumed international flight operations after almost two years. On March 23, 2020, the Central government had suspended flight operations with an aim to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
Two years after India resumed international flight operations, the country’s largest airport -- Delhi and second largest airport -- Mumbai, handled 173 and 109 international flights respectively.
“Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport operated 89 international departures and 84 arrivals,” said a Delhi airport official. “Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (CSMI) airport saw 58 departures and 51 arrivals on Sunday,” a CSMIA spokesperson said.
IGIA handled around 1.8 lakh passengers per day during pre-Covid-19 times.
India on Sunday resumed international flight operations after almost two years. On March 23, 2020, the Central government had suspended flight operations with an aim to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) permitted 60 airlines from 40 countries to operate 1,783 frequencies to and from India during the summer schedule. This summer schedule will be effective from March 27 till October 29, 2022. The DGCA has approved a total of 1,466 international departures for six Indian airlines for the summer schedule. The airlines will operate to 43 destinations in 27 countries.
IndiGo on Sunday said that it has resumed international flights on over 150 routes in April. These include cities like Dubai, Bangkok, Phuket, Singapore, Colombo, and the Maldives.
William Boulter, chief commercial officer, IndiGo said, “We are pleased to resume our scheduled international operations. Following the easing of restrictions, we are witnessing a huge demand for international travel. We hope that this enhanced connectivity with various destinations across the continent will provide a boost to the travel and tourism sector, while proving to be a catalyst for economic revival…IndiGo remains committed to play its part in helping the nation bounce back. We will do so via our signature on-time, courteous and hassle-free services at affordable fares, across an unparalleled network.”
The government, on Saturday, also revised the Covid-19 guidelines for international flight operations, including the removal of the requirement to keep three seats vacant on overseas flights for medical emergencies. It also scrapped the requirement for the crew to wear complete PPE kits.
