Coronavirus / Air India stops domestic, international flight bookings till April 30

New Dehi: Air India on Friday said that booking for all domestic and international routes will be closed till April 30. “Bookings now closed till 30th April from today for all domestic and international routes. We are awaiting a decision post 14th April,” ANI reported Air India as saying.

The government has announced a 21-day lockdown in the country in the wake of Coronavirus outbreak. The lockdown will be ending on April 14. While the government has said that there is no plan to extend the lockdown, reports suggest that restrictions may continue as number of Coronavirus cases are rising rapidly in the country on a daily basis.

There are speculations that the government may only lift partial lockdown after April 14.

Railway services also remain suspended in the country amid the lockdown and only good trains are plying to ensure supply of essential commodities.

Meanwhile, Air India’s pilot unions are unhappy with the 10 per cent cut in employees’ allowances amid the Coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to Air India chief Rajiv Bansal, the unions stated that the the cut was against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to companies not to cut salaries of the employees.

“We, the flying crew of Air India feel, immensely let down by the self-serving approach of the Executive Management Committee in the name of cost cutting measures. The committee has completely disregarded the appeal made by the prime minister and the advisory from the labour and employment ministry,” the letter said.

Soon after the 21-day lockdown was announced, Air India decided to reduce 10 per cent of allowances paid to all employees, except cabin crew, for a period of three months to tackle the COVID19 fallout.