The Civil Aviation Minister took questions from Facebook users during a live chat.
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Civil Aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday that commercial international flight operation could start as early as middle of June if the situation improves and the \u201cvirus behaves in a predictable manner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During a live chat on Facebook, he said the Centre was in touch with State governments to solve the problem being faced by passengers who are also \u201ctaxpayers\u201d to reach the airport and \u201ckeeping the lockdown in continuation is not the answer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Puri said India went into a lockdown straight and in one of the meetings he argued that \u201cif the lockdown is going to come into effect on day X, I need two-day notice for the U.S\u201d so that Air India planes could come back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs an optimist I would say why wait till August or September, if situation eases or improves, if the virus behave in a predictable manner, we get used to the idea to co-exist with the virus and make arrangements\u2026let say we have an ambitious goal, why not start middle of June, end- June or July, I know you will say MHA lockdown is till May 31\u2026nothing is written in stone\u2026we are starting the domestic flights from May 25, we are prepared,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Puri said that pricing of tickets is a commercial matter between airline and the consumer and the government\u2019s role was limited to issuing advisories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mr. Puri said airlines have to carry on with \u201cminimum economic viability\u201d and as he keeps getting suggestions and complaints on the issue, he said he once asked a Member of Parliament in a lighter vein whether the \u201cairline operation should be handed over to the Delhi langar society.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Air India requires Rs. 600 crore cash infusion every month and India was currently running Vande Bharat flights to evacuate stranded passengers from 50 countries. He said if private airlines are used for the Vande Bharat mission, then the price of tickets would be capped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, all domestic and international flights were suspended on March 23, a day before the first phase of lockdown was imposed. Mr. Puri said 33% domestic flights will start operating from May 25 and a meeting was underway with State governments to decide the quarantine process. Some States have insisted on mandatory 14-day institutional quarantines for all incoming domestic passengers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On being asked on testing everyone for COVID-19 before they are allowed to fly, Mr. Puri said it was not a practical solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you have an Aarogya Setu app and you are clear, do you want another test? India is conducting around 1 lakh per day\u2026if you do not have any symptoms or did not come in contact with a COVID-19 positive person then what is the use of test? The test result will come in 7 hours\u2026you take the test and wait for the result and then wait for another two hours before the boarding?\u201d asked Mr. Puri. He said Aarogya Setu was preferable but airlines have not made it mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf you check several boxes, can give a self declaration\u2026Why will the State want to quarantine you after these facts? It is a new situation, States will get used to it. Within next day or two we will have clarity,\u201d Mr. Puri said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said food will not be allowed on domestic flights and that \u201cvirus could come on the paper.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll domestic sectors are short duration from 40 minutes upto to 3 hours, have a good meal at home and then come. Water will be available at the point of entry and in the jacket of your seat,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As far as one-year-valid visa for outbound passengers was concerned, Mr. Puri said they were not the one prescribing it. \u201cAs long the visa is valid at the point of entry\u2026.we are trying to avoid a situation that the passenger is deported\u2026.democracies have this great ability. A visa doesn\u2019t mean that it gives you unrestricted rights\u2026.recently four students with valid visas who wanted to board a flight to the U.S.A were stopped as the airline was informed that all college and institutions were shut over there,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On being asked, why most flights under Vande Bharat were destined for Kerala and not other States like Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, Mr. Puri said State governments will have to take the lead and some State governments were more proactive than the others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n