Kolkata to have no flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Ahmedabad between July 6-19

NEW DELHI: In a bid to prevent a further surge in corona cases, Kolkata will not allow passengers on flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad from July 6 to July 19, 2020, or till further orders, whichever is earlier. The Kolkata airport slot allocation team issued this directive after getting an order from the aviation ministry, which in turn was heeding to a request from the state government.
“The restriction is for arriving flights (from these cities). Regarding departures, it is upto the airlines,” said an official at Kolkata airport.
On an average, Kolkata gets 10 flights daily from Delhi; five each from Mumbai and Chennai; two each from Ahmedabad and Pune and 1 from Nagpur. So this move will impact about 25 arrivals and as many departures daily. In all, Kolkata handles 60-65 domestic flights per day to and from all over India.
Meanwhile, airlines are yet to decide whether they will give refunds to passengers of affected flights or keep the money in a shell for future travel. Air India currently has two flights a day to Delhi and one each to Mumbai and Chennai.
A Vistara spokesperson said: “Following government orders, a total of 56 of our flights to/from Kolkata are being cancelled between July 6 and 19, 2020. We continue to follow DGCA guidelines, and are offering passengers refunds on flights cancelled within 14 days of departure.”
In a tweet, the Kolkata airport said: “It is informed that no flights shall operate to Kolkata from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai and Ahmedabad from July 6 to 19, 2020, or till further order whichever is earlier. Inconvenience caused is regretted ... (this) temporary restriction… is on the request of state government to restrict movement from high prevalence cities of coronavirus cases in order to contain the spread of Covid-19.”

West Bengal had on June 30 asked the Centre to stop flights from some corona hotspots to the state, which too is seeing a rise in corona cases. It had sought no flights at Kolkata and Bagdogra to and from Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat for 2 weeks from July 6. It had also sought restricting the number of flights to Kolkata and Bagdogra from other cities to once a week for each airline from July 6-31.

West Bengal chief secretary Rajiva Sinha had written to the Union aviation secretary P S Kharola on June 30: “As you know coronavirus is spreading fast all over the country. Some of the states are experiencing larger spread of epidemic though we strongly believe that all the state governments are equally vigilant and active towards curbing the spread. West Bengal is also witnessing a steep rise in cases. A large number of cases has been reported from people coming in the state from outside with infection.”
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“Government of West Bengal has decided to stop or curtail movement of incoming flights and trains into the state. Accordingly, I approach you with a request kindly not to schedule any flight to West Bengal from high prevalence places viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Chennai, Indore, Ahmedabad and Surat and to stop movement of flights from these cities to Kolkata or Bagdogra for two weeks starting July 6, 2020. I also request you to restrict the number of flights to Kolkata, Bagdogra and Andal from other cities to a frequency of once a week for each airline from July 6-31, 2020. I am sure that ministry of civil aviation will appreciate the constraints of government of West Bengal behind this special request,” Sinha’s letter had said.