Stranded NRIs Return Uncertainty Remains; Domestic & International Flights Can't Fly Till May 3

Millions of Indian nationals who are stranded across the world, including many in COVID-19 hotspots who were desperately trying to come back to India, will have to wait for a little more as the skies will remain closed.

BCCL

On Tuesday, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to the nation stated that the ongoing lockdown will continue till May 3, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced that all domestic and international flights will remain suspended during the same period.

AFP

¡°All domestic and international scheduled airlines operations shall remain suspended till 11:59 pm of 03 May 2020,¡± the aviation regulator said in a tweet.

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¡ª DGCA (@DGCAIndia) April 14, 2020

The DGCA had earlier stopped operations of passenger flights on all domestic routes from March 25 to March 31 and then extended it to April 14. Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Hardeep Singh Puri tweeted that there were good reasons for the extension of the lockdown till May 3 and the government may consider lifting restrictions on both domestic and international flights thereafter.

AFP

"I understand the problems being faced by people who need to travel & request them to bear with us. This is bad news for millions of Indians across the world who were hoping that there could be some relaxation to bring them home.

On Monday, the Supreme Court had directed that Indians stranded in other parts of the world should ¡°stay where they are¡± as currently, it is not possible to fly them back home. ¡°Ask them to stay where they are, people in other countries cannot be brought back right now,¡± said a bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde.

The observations came while the court was hearing a batch of petitions on the evacuation of Indian citizens stranded abroad amid the outbreak of the coronavirus. Seven petitions were heard one by one, each seeking directions from the court on their immediate evacuation from the UK, US, Iran, and Gulf countries.

Dear PM Modi Sir, with all due respect to your decision of lockdown in India please save us we are stuck in Oman with a travel ban. Please allow the International travels at least for the Indians who want to come back home. We have lost or jobs with no money to servive

¡ª Amirrazvi (@Amirrazvi10) April 9, 2020

While the hearing on a petition related to the evacuation of people from the United States was being heard, the Solicitor General of India told the court people across the globe are getting visa extensions amid the worldwide spread of the pandemic.

@narendramodi @PMOIndia @DrSJaishankar @aajtak @HardeepSPuri Modi ji,we know that lockdown is necessary but please consider people stuck in USA or out of India.plz try to chcek the possibilities of return back.We will lockdown ourself separately in India but not safe here.

¡ª Tushar (@Tushar56736933) April 11, 2020

Earlier, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor, told Gulf News on April 11 that the Indian government has decided for the safety of Indians. And, that the country cannot take the risk of evacuating a large number of people from foreign countries while it is concentrating on breaking the chain of infection inside the country.

The UAE has offered to fly stranded Indians and citizens of other countries, who wish to be repatriated, if they test negative for COVID-19, the country's envoy to India. @MEAIndia @PMOIndia @MOS_MEA .Please accept this offer and help us out.

¡ª Samarth (@Samarthpv) April 13, 2020

India has decided to keep its skies closed despite some countries, mostly in the middle east offering to repatriate stranded Indians if they test negative for COVID-19.