With the nationwide lockdown being extended till May 3, the director general of civil aviation (DGCA) has announced that all domestic and international scheduled airlines operations shall remain suspended till 11 59 pm on May 3, 2020.
The railways too, has extended the cancellation of all passenger train services till May 3. This includes all Mail, Express, premium train and also suburban trains. Indian Railways has said that full refund of fares shall be arranged to passengers. The railways has also suspended advance reservations until further notice.
However, freight and parcel operations will continue as at present.
Domestic airlines such as IndiGo, SpiceJet, among others were initially ready to resume operations from April 15.
Post the announcement of the extension of lockdown, IndiGo has announced that all of its flights are suspended till May 3.
“We are in the process of cancelling the reservations. Your ticket amount is protected in the form of a credit shell in the PNR, which will be shared with you in the next 5-7 das. The credit shell can be utilised within one year from the issued date, for the same passenger(s),” IndiGo said in a statement.
While other airlines have not made a similar announcement or update yet, airlines such as Vistara and GoAir too, are extending PNRs of passengers who had a booking with the airline.
The extension of the lockdown comes as an additional blow to the airline industry, which has already been suffering from having to suspend operations.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had predicted that nearly 25 million jobs globally are at risk with airline shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Industry body FICCI too wrote to the finance minister and aviation minister seeking support for the industry, which it said is on the brink of bankruptcy.
Rajiv Bansal, Chairman & Managing Director, Air India, in a note to employees said last week that the airline has been passing through a critical financial condition from much before the Covid-19 onslaught.
"The crippling effect of the pandemic, especially in the aviation sector, has further plummeted our finances to a precarious position. In spite of this, your airline has left no stone unturned to continue to remain afloat," Bansal said.
GoAir, SpiceJet and IndiGo announced pay cuts for employees.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the nationwide lockdown will be extended till May 3.
The Prime Minister added that the situation in the country will be watched closely till April 20.