Lockdown 4.0: Air India unlikely to resume domestic flights after May 18

New Delhi, May 17: The National-carrier Air India is unlikely to resume its domestic operations from May 18. However, a formal announcement from the ministry is still awaited.

"Air India flight bookings are currently closed and will resume after receipt of directions from Government of India," said an internal mail sent to its employees.

"An internal Air India email is circulating on WhatsApp. This is to clarify it is an internal communique. Commencement of commercial domestic/international flights will be announced by the Govt of India," clarified Air India in a tweet.

"Passengers are requested to follow MOCA, Air India Twitter handle and respective websites for official announcement regarding resumption of operations," it added.

Earlier reports suggested that the Central Government is in its final stages to resume flight operations in India.

The Airports Authority of India (AAI) on Friday asked travellers to mandatorily download the Aarogya Setu app, do a web-check in and carry a print out of their boarding pass before heading to the airport to catch a flight.

The government run-AAI, which manages more than 100 airports across the country, said air travellers must maintain a distance of four feet from co-passengers, wear a mask and other protective gear, wash or sanitise their hands frequently and carry a 350 ml bottle of sanitiser all the time.

Airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad are managed by private companies and not by the AAI.