Tag: Ministry of Civil Aviation

From June 1, passengers on domestic flights will be allowed only half a seat. The Ministry of Civil Aviation has issued a new directive in the wake of the rising covid. At present, 80 percent of the seats are reserved for passengers. With the reduction in seats, there will be an increase in airfares. Domestic flights resumed on May 25, 2020, after a two-month hiatus last year. In the first phase, only 33 percent of the seats were filled. However, by December, the ministry had approved a gradual increase in the seat limit to 80 percent. Now that the number ... Read more

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has extended the ban on international flights in the country. The ban will last until May 31. The move comes in the wake of the covid situation in the country. The ban will not apply to cargo flights or special flights licensed by the DGCA. India has air bubble agreements with 28 countries. Flights to these countries will not be interrupted. At the same time, with the second expansion of covid, many countries had suspended flights from India. Last day alone, covid confirmed 3.85 lakh people in India.

Passengers will have to pay Rs 10 extra for their air travel from September 1 as the Ministry of Civil Aviation has decided to revise the rates of aviation security fee (ASF) for domestic and international passengers. According to officials, the ASF for domestic flyers will be increased by Rs 10 to Rs 160 while the international passengers will have to pay $5.2 instead of the current $4.85. The ASF is used to fund the security arrangement at airports across the country. The ASF was hiked last year to Rs 150 from Rs 130, and international passengers were charged $4.85 ... Read more

The Union health ministry has issued a set of revised guidelines for international arrivals, that kicked in from yesterday. As per the new guidelines, five categories of passengers are exempted from the mandatory seven-day institutional quarantine such as pregnant women, children below 10 years of age and passengers who are suffering from serious illnesses. Last month, India formed air travel bubbles with countries like the US, the UAE, France and Germany under which airlines of both the countries are allowed to operate special international flights with certain restrictions. Following are the key guidelines to be followed: 1) All travellers should submit ... Read more

Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday said that bilateral air bubbles will be the way forward in resuming international travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic. “I think the answer is bilateral air bubbles – which will carry a number of people but under defined conditions – as countries continue to impose entry restrictions including India,” Puri said at a press conference. Puri said Air France will operate 28 flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore to Paris from July 18 till August 1, while United Air will operate 18 flights from Delhi, Mumbai to Newark till July 31. Scheduled international ... Read more

The Civil Aviation Ministry has come out with a draft standard operating procedure (SOP) for commencing commercial passenger services in the country, that will make travelling safer but more tedious. The passengers will need to show the `green status’ on their Aarogya Setu app, go through temperature checks, do web check-in and fill up a detailed questionnaire, if the draft is approved. One of the key recommendations is not to allow cabin baggage in the aircraft. The passengers will also have to reach airport at least two hours before the flight departure. The draft SOP has also mooted having the ... Read more

Airlines will have to refund the entire fare, without imposing cancellation charges, to those who booked tickets during the first lockdown from March 25 to April 14 for travel between March 25 and May 3, the civil aviation ministry said on Thursday. The ministry has asked the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to ensure airlines comply with its directive. “Grievances were received from air travellers regarding refund for flights cancelled because of the nationwide lockdown to combat COVID19. Advisories have been issued regarding refund for both domestic & international tickets booked for the flights suspended due to lockdown,” civil aviation ... Read more

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has said that all domestic commercial airlines will cease operations from the midnight of March 24. Airlines have to plan operations so as to land at their destination before 11.59 pm. The decision will not apply to cargo airlines. The government has not decided when to restart operations. India had already stopped international flights into the country. Airlines around the world are taking measures to curtail flights in a bid to control the spread of the virus. With flight schedules in disarray, airlines are expected to bear massive losses. Most carriers have requested their respective ... Read more

Air travel will become a bit costlier as the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has decided to increase the aviation security fee (ASF) from Rs 130 to Rs 150 for Indian passengers from July 1 onwards. For international passengers, the ASF will be increased from 3.25 USD to 4.85 USD from next month, an MoCA document stated. “The ASF for domestic passengers will be levied at the rate of Rs 150 per embarking passenger,” said an Ministry of Civil Aviation order. “The ASF for international passengers will be levied at the rate of USD 4.85 or equivalent Indian rupees per ... Read more

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has released the first draft of the passengers’ charter, spelling out rules for cancellation fee, compensation for missing connecting flight and plans to introduce wi-fi services in flights. The new regulations will come into effect after being approved by the Union Cabinet. If the passenger is informed about the cancellation of flights less than two weeks before and up to 24 hours of the scheduled departure time, the airline must offer alternate flight allowing the passenger to depart within two hours of the booked scheduled departure time or refund the ticket, as acceptable to the passenger. ... Read more

The tourism ministry plans to accelerate India’s booming tourism sector by the introduction of long-term visas, which will increase the international tourist inflow significantly. The international tourist arrivals to India increased by 15.7 per cent in 2017 to top 10 million. The ministry also plans to ease travel restrictions in some areas, introduce more flights to trendy tourist destinations for boosting the international tourist arrivals. The tourism ministry had already proposed for better air connectivity to places like Khajuraho, Aurangabad, Ahmedabad, Srinagar and Guwahati to the civil aviation ministry last week. The ministry of home affairs has already accepted tourism ... Read more

India’s booming tourism industry is aided by the transportation services in a great way. A meeting was held between Union Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons, Minister of Civil Aviation Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayanta Sinha, along with the officials of both ministries for creating better air connectivity of tourist destinations in order to heighten the tourism sector. The Ministry of Civil Aviation agreed to take immediate action regarding better connectivity after discussion with the air operators. The ministry also decided to widen the UDAN scheme to all the undeserved destinations at the earliest. The decisions also ... Read more

World airline trade association IATA (International Air Transport Association) joins hands with Ministry of Civil Aviation and Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University(RGNAU), to strengthen human resource possibility over India’s aviation industry. On Tuesday, a Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between IATA, Civil Aviation Ministry and RGNAU. “Formalised this partnership in the presence of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha on the sidelines of Wings India 2018 in Hyderabad”, said IATA in a statement. “India is expected to be the third largest aviation market in the world behind China and the US by 2024, and is forecast to ... Read more

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), along with Ministry of Civil Aviation has is planning to conduct, “Wings India 2018” aviation event from 8th to 11th March at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad. The forum consists of discussions and policy-making, related to distinct international business conditions. The main areas of focus would be related to different aviation field that host tourism, cargo and logistics. Eminent dignitaries of the event include CEO’s from different airline companies, aviation experts, and government chiefs followed by other executive officers. The main attraction of the event would be the showcase of Boeing’s latest ... Read more