Tag Archives: Hardeep Singh Puri

In a recent Tweet, Union Minister of Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri, has said that “domestic aviation operations in the country are slowly reaching towards the pre-COVID numbers.” He adds, “With 2,77,235 passengers on 2,235 flights, 4,469 total movements & 5,51,506 footfalls at airports, we are almost at a touching distance.”

TAAI has appealed to Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation and PS Patel, Minister of Tourism, to set up urgent protocols for travellers who are getting vaccinated against COVID-19. “This shall enable vaccinated travellers to resume their activities to pre-COVID times and live towards a better future,” says Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has announced that the price-cap system for domestic airlines will be extended further by another 3 months. It was earlier valid till November 24, and now it has been extended further till February 24, 2021. The ministry will relook at it in February.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that the extension of travel bubble arrangement till March is only under the realm of speculation. However, he adds, “I would like to plan as we go towards the end of the year, but whether it happens till March depends on whether there is a readily available vaccine, as countries will feel more confident when frontline warriors or other people have access to the vaccine.”

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that domestic airlines may soon increase their capacity to 75 per cent and it may reach more than pre-COVID levels in the first quarter of 2021. “I had earlier said that pre-COVID domestic numbers will be achieved between Diwali and New Year. Now I am confident that by the first quarter next year, we will be able to surpass the pre-COVID number,” the civil aviation minister said. Currently, the capacity is around 65%.

Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, in Parliament, said Air India’s only 21 routes, including nine domestic and twelve international, are profitable. Only these routes can cover the total cost of operating flights on 100 routes on which the airline operated between April 2019 and March 2020, he further added. Puri’s response indicated that Air India operates in 56 domestic and 44 international destinations and out of those 101 domestic and 10 international routes, it does not cover variable costs. “Air India continuously monitors market developments and the performance of its flights and conducts studies with the aim of withdrawing, introducing new routes or increasing / decreasing the frequency of existing routes. Air India has withdrawn flights that did not meet fixed / variable costs,” said Puri. He said that services on loss-making routes will be analyzed based on their strategic importance before deciding whether to withdraw or continue those routes.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that they will be able to resume 55-60 per cent of domestic flights by Diwali. Speaking at a press conference, he said, “We are assuming that by the time Diwali comes this year, we would have 55-60 per cent of pre-COVID domestic flights operating in India.”

Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Civil Aviation, has said that international operations will begin in air bubbles now, which will be active with a few countries including France, US and the UAE. He further revealed that air bubbles will operate for a while and only then will regular international operations begin. “Negotiations are at an advanced stage with at least three countries. We formally signed for Air France operating 28 flights from Paris to New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru between 18th July and 1st August. Apart from that we have an agreement with United Airlines to operate 18 flights between 17th and 31st July. We have requests from Germany also, and the negotiations with Lufthansa are almost done. Some details have to be worked out,” he said.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Civil Aviation Minister, has said that he has never been more confident and hopeful about Air India’s divestment plan as he is now. Speaking at a press conference, he said, “Air India is a first-class asset. It has excellent engineers, excellent pilots, covering various destinations, or be it the evacuation of people from Wuhan, Air India has been at the heart of it. I think, we need to make some decisions on nationalisation. We may have lost two or three months because of the pandemic, but we have gained a lot of experience in terms of the value and how to take this forward.”

Union Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said that the decision on resumption of international passenger flights in the country will be taken in July, if COVID-19 behaves in a predictable manner and various stakeholders came on board with a plan.