Will try to restart international flights before August: Hardeep Singh Puri

 Civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said the government hopes to restart international flights 'before August-September’  

New Delhi: India will try to restart a good percentage of international passenger flights before August, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday, three days after announcing resumption of domestic flights from May 25

All scheduled commercial passenger flights have been suspended in India since March 25 when the Modi government imposed a lockdown to contain the novel cornavirus pandemic. "I am fully hopeful that before August or September, we will try to start a good percentage of international civil aviation operations, if not complete international operations," Puri said during a Facebook live session.

"I can't put a date on it (restarting international flights). But if somebody says can it be done by August or September, my response is why not earlier depending on what is the situation," he said.

Meanwhile, today is the 60th day of India’s nationwide lockdown, meant to curb the novel coronavirus pandemic. Confirmed COVID-19 cases in India stand at 1,25,101. The death toll from the outbreak in India is at 3,720. Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi have reported the highest number of cases.