Maharashtra Govt Allows 25 Flights To Mumbai From Monday

Maharashtra Government To Allow 25 Flights To Mumbai From Monday

Representational Image/ (Photo: AFP)

Update: After reports that Maharashtra government will not allow flight operations from May 25 on Sunday, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had sought some time from the Civil aviation ministry before resuming flights. However, later in the day, contradicting Thackeray's earlier statement, state cabinet minister Nawab Malik of the NCP, in a statement, said that the Maharashtra government has agreed to allow 25 takeoffs and 25 landings every day for domestic flights from Mumbai. This number will be increased gradually and the State govt will issue details and guidelines in this regard soon. Earlier in the day, addressing a press conference later on Sunday, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said he has sought some time from the Centre before starting operations of flights again. "Today morning, I spoke to civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri and requested him to give us some time to do preparations (to resume domestic air travel)," said Thackeray His statement comes after reports that the state will operate only emergency flights for either bringing stranded Indian citizens or other residents of Maharashtra stuck in other states during the lockdown, students, and medical emergencies, agencies have reported. On Saturday the officials of Maharashtra had said that the government is bringing no change in its previous order of “no air travel” in the state, news agency ANI said in its report. An official of the Maharashtra government had said that the lockdown order of the Uddhav government of May 19, 2020 has not been amended, which bars air travel, the report said. In its previous guidelines for lockdown 4, Maharashtra government had not allowed air travel in the lockdown extending till May 31, except for domestic medical services, domestic air ambulance and for security purposes. Also Watch: Domestic air travel to stay shut in Maharashtra The number of cases in Maharashtra is on a rise, even after two months of lockdown. It saw a massive rise in Coronavirus cases on Saturday with 2,608 new infections. The total number of cases in the state spike up to 47,190, while the death toll stood at 1577. A total of 13,404 patients have been discharged.