The Maharashtra government said that there is no final decision to resume flight operations that are set to begin in a phased manner from Monday, stating that the restrictions in movement of people and transport are essential, as the state has the maximum number of red zones.
The government also confirmed that the lockdown in the state will continue till May 31.
Union Minister for Civil Aviation Hardeep Puri on Thursday announced that domestic flight services will be resumed in a ‘calibrated manner’ from May 25.
The Thakeray-government alleged that the Centre ‘arbitrarily’ made the decision to restart domestic flight operations without any consultation.
It said that with the maximum number of cases, the state needs time to decide on the Standard Operating Protocols (SOP) over air travel, adding that ‘outside the airport, everything becomes the state government’s responsibility’, India Today reported.
The state responded via email and requested for a discussion with the Centre to clarify the matter of resumption of flight operations and address the change in lockdown protocols for the same.
It also mentioned that there was no clearance from the Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) about the requirement of staff, their availability, health conditions, and their fitness checkups.
The Maharashtra government requested the Centre to allow only ‘minimum possible’ domestic flights if necessary, specifically for international transfer passengers, medical emergencies, students, and other necessary grounds.
In contradiction, sources from the Ministry of Civil Aviation told India Today that that all states including Maharashtra agreed to allow domestic flight operations.
‘States were consulted before the decision was finalized. There can be no change as bookings have commenced and passengers are all geared up to fly from Monday,’ the agency quoted sources as saying.
