DGCA Extends Ban on International Flights Till April 14 Due to Coronavirus Lockdown
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) extended the ban on international flights till April 14 due to 21-day lockdown in India to avoid the spread of coronavirus. The scheduled international commercial passenger services will remain closed till 6:30 pm (GMT) of April 14
New Delhi, March 26: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) extended the ban on international flights till April 14 due to 21-day lockdown in India to avoid the spread of coronavirus. The scheduled international commercial passenger services will remain closed till 6:30 pm (GMT) of April 14. Meanwhile, the ban will not be applicable to international all-cargo flights. IAF Designates Command Hospital Air Force Bangalore as 1st Laboratory in The Force to Undertake COVID-19 Testing.
The DGCA in a statement said, “It has been decided that scheduled international commercial passenger services shall remain closed till 18:30 hrs (GMT) of April 14, 2020.” It added. “This will not apply to approve international all-cargo operations.” Coronavirus Live Map: How to Track The Spread of COVID-19 Across The Globe With This Dashboard.
DGCA's Statement:
Earlier, on March 19, the government of India suspended the operations from March 22 for a week's period till March 31, to prevent the transmission of coronavirus. Later, the government also suspended all the domestic flights. The Indian railways also cancelled all passenger trains to avoid the spread of COVID-19. Rahul Gandhi Praises Coronavirus Economic Package Announced by Narendra Modi Government, Calls It 'First Step in Right Direction'.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day lockdown in the country to curb the coronavirus menace. India will be under complete shutdown till April 21. However, shops of essentials services and goods, including grocery, milk and medical facilities, will remain open during the lockdown.
In India, 649 people have been tested positive so far. Seventeen people also lost their lives. Globally, more than 20,000 deaths have been reported until now. Over four lakh people were tested positive for the deadly virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the outbreak of novel coronavirus as a “pandemic”.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 26, 2020 07:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).