Over 500 flights take off, but states create plane confusion at airports

Maharashtra clears air, says short-term visitors exempt from isolation

It was a day of delight and despair for passengers as domestic airlines resumed flights on Monday after two months of suspension. While more than 39,000 people flew on Day One, several hundred remained stranded due to last minute cancellations.

Even as airlines were supposed to operate 33 per cent of the approved summer schedule, they were forced to rework their itineraries late Sunday evening following many rounds of discussions between the Centre and states. The original schedule turned upside down as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, allowed operations with only limited number of flights…

ALSO READ: Day 1 of flights resumption: Airlines walk an extra mile to ensure safe ops

Industry sources estimated the average passenger load on Monday at around 55 per cent, with IndiGo operating half the total flights. For some flights, fewer than 10 passengers turned up. Alliance Air’s Delhi-Jaipur and Delhi-Dehradun flights flew with two and three passengers only, executives confirmed.

While flights from Delhi to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Northeast states saw 100-plus passengers each, Bengaluru and Mumbai-bound flights from the Capital had lower number of passengers. Short-duration visitors, including business travellers, will not be required to undergo isolation in Maharashtra, the state said in its standard operating procedures for domestic air travel on Monday…Read More

Airports across north India on high alert amid intel on JeM terrorists

Security agencies reveal that four JeM terrorists have entered Delhi and are planning to strike during festival season

Security has been beefed up across the national capital after police received intelligence inputs on a possible terror strike, a senior police official said on Thursday. Airports across north India have been placed on high alert and security has been enhanced, say officials. Raids are being conducted by the Special Cell of Delhi Police at several locations across the city since Wednesday evening after the intelligence inputs suggested that three to four members of a terror outfit may have infiltrated into the city, he said.

Four terrorists of the Pakistan-based JeM have entered Delhi and are planning to strike during the festival season, inputs received by security agencies reveal.

Raids are being conducted by the Special Cell of Delhi Police at several locations across the city since Wednesday evening after the intelligence inputs suggested that three to four members of a terror outfit may have infiltrated into the city, he said. Four terrorists of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have entered Delhi and are planning to strike during the festival season, inputs received by security agencies reveal…