New Delhi: After two months of suspension because of lockdown, airlines have resumed domestic passenger services in India, following the resumption order of Ministry of Civil Aviation. The first flight which left for Pune from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport at 4.45 am, was of Indigo. The next flight is also an IndiGo carrier departing at 6:45 am from Mumbai to Patna. Except for West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh, passengers across the country started arriving at respective airports in the wee hours. The

All the commercial passenger flights in India had remained suspended so far since March 25, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown to control the transmision of Coronavirus in India.

On last Thursday, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri  had announced that not all but only one-third of the pre-lockdown domestic flights will operate from Monday, while suspension remains intact for international scheduled commercial passenger flights.

First Flights To Resume Operation:        

As per a report by news agency PTI, the first passenger flight would be 6E643 from Delhi airport and it is likely to be operated by aircraft VT-ITK, which is an A320neo plane of IndiGo. It said that the first domestic passenger flight to arrive at Delhi airport on Monday would be from Ahmedabad and it is of SpiceJet. "The flight SG8194, which would be conducted by B737 model numbered VT-SGQ, would be landing at 7.45 AM at Delhi airport," PTI reported citing sources.

New Guidelines:

On Thursday, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) released Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to all its airports for domestic air travel.


Some key changes include:




  • It is mandatory to wear protective gear such as masks, gloves, etc

  • It is also compulsory for passengers to be registered to the Aarogya Setu app and it will be checked by security personnel at the airport. The app is not mandatory for children below 14 years of age.

  • Those who do show ‘green’ in the App will not be allowed inside the airport.

  • Web check-in is mandatory. No physical check-in at airport counter would be done. Only those passengers with confirmed web check-in shall be allowed to enter the airport.

  • State governments will have to ensure the availability of public transport and private taxis connecting the airport so that passengers and staff can travel to the airport

  • Passengers have to reach 2 hours before the scheduled departure and only those who have a departure in the next 4 hours will be allowed inside the terminal.

  • Passengers should keep in mind that only one check-in bag will be allowed.

  • Airlines shall not provide meal services on board.


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