Image used for representational purpose only
KOLKATA: The West Bengal government has extended till August 31, the embargo on direct flights to Kolkata from six Indian cities. The ban on flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Nagpur and Ahmedabad came into force on July 6 and was initially in place till July 19 before being extended till July 31 and then to August 15.
“The civil aviation ministry has informed us that the flight ban from six cities will continue till August 31, after a request for an extension of the ban from the state government,” an airport official said.
The state cited high incidence of Covid-19 cases in Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat for the request to the civil aviation ministry to suspend flights from these cities.
Bengal officials said lifting the curb was not possible as the situation remained grave. The embargo has prompted desperate passengers to buy tickets on multiple flights — with stopovers at airports located in other states — to travel between Kolkata and these six cities. Airlines said they had noticed higher loads on flights to and from Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow, Guwahati and Raipur.
