MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th May, 2020) Domestic passenger flights have resumed in the majority of Indian states after a two-month hiatus due to the coronavirus disease outbreak, although some passengers were left frustrated after dozens of flights were canceled, domestic media reported on Monday.
According to The Times of India newspaper, the first flight of the day left the capital New Delhi for Pune at 04:45 a.m. local time [23:15 GMT on Sunday]. Flights also began from Mumbai at 06:45 a.m. local time.
Domestic flights have been allowed to resume although stringent hygiene measures are in force at airports and on planes. Face masks are mandatory, no food can be served on board, and passengers are asked to fill out a self-declaration medical form to potentially track those who come into contact with the disease, the newspaper reported.
Despite the resumption in travel, 82 departures and arrivals at New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport were canceled on Monday, the newspaper stated, citing sources in the aviation industry.
Additionally, the state of West Bengal has refused to resume domestic flights amid the ongoing epidemiological crisis and the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan, which struck the region this past week and killed dozens of people, the newspaper reported.
The Indian authorities have resumed domestic flights despite the country reporting a record daily increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. On Monday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare reported a record 6,977 new positive tests over the preceding 24 hours, beating the previous record that was set on Sunday of 6,767 new cases in a single day.
