Mumbai airport gets approval to double flight operations to 200 a day

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has been allowed to operate 200 flights daily, up from the 100 operational so far. However, the airport will operate 100 flights today, as according to an official, the flight schedule for Tuesday was fixed and the airport was informed about the development by the government only in the evening. Civil aviation secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola had written to the state on July 10, asking them to allow more flight operations to and from Mumbai airport. In reply to this letter, Valsa Nair Singh, principal secretary, civil aviation and state excise, on Monday agreed to double flight operations.

The letter, accessed by HT, read “... the government of Maharashtra has agreed to double the movement of aircraft into Mumbai airport. The recommendations of 100 arrivals and 100 departures on a daily basis may be made operational from September 1 onwards.’ A Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) official said, “We are prepared and ready to commence services with double the flight operations.” The airport resumed operations from May 25, three months into the lockdown, with 25 departures and 25 arrivals. Operations were doubled to 100 in mid-June.

Mumbai airport sources said flights to places like Delhi, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna, Goa, Diu, Ranchi, Varanasi, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Indore, Belgaum, Nanded, Amritsar, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Jaipur and Kandla have been scheduled to operate on Tuesday.

Int’l flight ops stay suspended till September 30

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) extended the suspension of international flight operations till September 30.

The circular read, “...scheduled international commercial passenger services to/ from India till 23:59 hours of 30th September. This shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA.”