New Delhi:
All international and domestic commercial passenger flights will remain suspended till April 14, aviation regulator DGCA announced on Thursday, amid a nationwide lockdown to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on March 19 had announced that no international commercial passenger flight operations will take place in India from 1.30 am on March 23 to 5.30 am on March 29.
Similarly, all domestic flights, which were initially suspended till March 31, will now remain so till April 14, which is when the national lockdown also ends. The initial announcement was made on March 23, and flights were stopped from March 25.
The regulator, in a circular issued on March 27, said that the earlier suspension is being extended "till 2359 hrsIST on 14th April ,2020."
"In continuation of circular-II dated 19.3.2020 issued on the subject cited-above, it has been decided that all scheduled international commercial passenger services shall remain closed till 1830 hrs GMT (0000 hrs of Indian Standard Time) of April 14, 2020," the aviation regulator said.
"However, this restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA," it said.
The government suspended domestic passenger flight operations from midnight on March 24.
The total number of coronavirus cases in India has climbed to 724 today. More than 85 cases were reported from the various parts of the country on Thursday — highest official single-day count so far. Out of the total patients, 677 are Indians and 47 are foreign nationals.
COVID-19 claimed its first life in Madhya Pradesh on Thursday, taking the total toll in the country 17. On Thursday, India has recorded highest number of deaths in a single day. Deaths have been reported from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Karnataka, Punjab, Delhi, West Bengal and Himachal Pradesh.
At present, there are 640 active coronavirus patients in the country. A total 67 patients have been cured or discharged so far, according to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
With 19 fresh cases recorded on Thursday, the total number of COVID-19 patients in Kerala has surged to 137. The state has now highest coronavirus cases in India. Maharashtra comes close second with 130 active cases reported so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a complete lockdown across the country for 21 days from Tuesday midnight, asserting that this is necessary for a decisive battle against the coronavirus.