Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SHP)

New Delhi, May 13: While the country makes preparations for lockdown 4.0, Air India is looking forward to beginning operations of special domestic flights from different cities between May 19 and June 2 to help passengers reach home. As per a TOI report, the flights will connect select cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kochi, Jaipur.

Meanwhile, sources from Air India asserted that the airline was not returning to normalcy rather the special flights are part of the evacuation programme 'Vande Bharat Mission'. Senior officials in Air India have stated that it would be the second phase of operations where domestic passengers will also be included. There are discussions of such an operation but an official announcement on the same is still awaited. Which is believed to be releasing soon. The passengers will be asked to book tickets online.

The development comes at a time when the New Delhi office of Air India was sealed after one of the staff members tested positive for COVID-19. Earlier, five AI pilots were reported to have contracted the virus. However, soon after the second round of tests declared them negative.

The resumption of Air India’s domestic flight services is on the lines of the train services being operated by the Indian Railways. The facility will prove essential to those who have arrived in India from abroad. It will get them to their home states as many of flights will be operating from specific cities.

An overview of the flight plan by Air India:

Flights from Delhi to these cities - Jaipur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Amritsar, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Vijayawada, Gaya, Lucknow.

Flights from Mumbai to these cities - Visakhapatnam, Kochi, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Vijayawada.

Flights from Hyderabad - Delhi, Mumbai

Flights from Bengaluru - Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad.