Buenos Aires, Apr 28 (IANS): Argentina has banned all internal and international commercial flights until September 1 due to the coronavirus pandemic, authorities said.

The country's National Civil Aviation Administration issued a decree on Monday, banning ticket sales for commercial flights to, from or within Argentina, while describing September 1 as a "reasonable" date, reports the BBC.

The agency added that the decree was aimed at preventing airlines from ticketing flights not approved by the Argentine authorities.

The international aviation agency, Iata, sent a letter to the Argentine government, saying the decision breached bilateral agreements and put at risk more than 300,000 jobs in the country.

Meanwhile, Alta, a group which lobbies interests of Latin American and Caribbean airlines, said the decree was not "agreed with the industry".

Many countries in South America have halted commercial flights, but none has extended the ban for as long as Argentina.

Argentina closed its borders to non-residents in March, imposing tough quarantine measures.

The country currently has 4,003 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 197 deaths, according to figures from the Johns Hopkins University.