In the wake of increasing coronavirus cases in the country, the Central Government on Monday issued a notification that all domestic flights in the country will be suspended from the midnight of March 24th. The decision comes after the center decided to completely lockdown 80 districts.
The number of COVID-19 cases in India has touched 433 with the tally of deceased reaching 8. On Sunday, Rajasthan became the first state to shut down entirely followed by Karnataka which shut nine of its districts. On Monday, the government announced all the 80 districts that have been hit by the COVID-19 virus.
The Railway Ministry also on Sunday suspended the services of all its passenger trains. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that no flights would land at the capital. After the state governments of Bihar and West Bengal appealed to the Center to suspend airlines, the government at the center decided to suspend all the domestic flights from 29:59 hours on 24th March. However, the cargo flights will continue to fly as scheduled.
The Economic Impact on Transport Industry
The overwhelming rise in the cases of COVID-19 cases has adversely affected the travel industry especially the airlines. Earlier in March, India had put a restriction on flights flying from Italy and parts of Europe. Further, India banned the incoming flight from any foreign country. With even domestic flights suspended, the airline industry is expected to undergo a massive economic crisis.
It is not only the airline industry but also passenger transport altogether. By announcing lockdowns, the state governments have effectively sealed their borders, therefore, restricting the incoming and outgoing vehicles. As of now, only goods carrying vehicle movements are to be seen in the country over the next few weeks.
The corona outbreak continues to grab headlines ever since it first broke out in China on 31st December 2019. The coronavirus has so far affected 193 countries, infecting over 340,000 and taking lives of 14,923. While China is recovering gradually, Italy continues to be in total despair with over 59,000 confirmed cases. The United States and the United Kingdom too are struggling to ramp up their facility for the public. The vaccine for coronavirus is being researched across the globe.
