Uddhav Thackeray Asks For More Time to Resume Air Travel Through Maharashtra

In a televised address, Thackeray also said that he could not say if the lockdown will be lifted on May 31 in Maharashtra and spoke against the sudden relaxation of rules.

New Delhi: A day ahead of partial resumption of domestic flight services in the country amidst the lockdown, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday sought more time from the Ministry of Civil Aviation for restarting operations at the Mumbai international airport.

He was also critical of the sudden lifting of lockdown norms.

“It was wrong to impose the lockdown suddenly. It will be equally wrong to lift it in one go. It will be a double whammy for our own people,” he said in a televised message.

He also said that minimum possible domestic flights from Maharashtra be initiated from Monday.

In an online briefing, Thackeray said, “I spoke to civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri today and told him that the Mumbai international airport needs more time to resume its operations.

“Till the time MIAL (Mumbai International Airport Limited) plans and fine-tunes the airport operations, the aviation ministry should initiate minimum possible domestic flights from Maharashtra from May 25th, which are purely emergent in nature like for international transfer of passengers, medical emergencies, students, and cases on compassionate grounds.”

Thackeray said some 13 more international flights till be landing at the Mumbai airport by June 7.

Puri had announced resumption of domestic flight services from May 25 as part of the Centre’s efforts to gradually open the air travel that was suspended nearly two months ago due to a lockdown imposed to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Amid the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Maharashtra, Thackeray also said there was a need to be extra cautious during the upcoming monsoon season.

The nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, which is currently in its fourth phase, was announced on March 24 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thackeray, whose party Shiv Sena parted ways with long-term ally BJP last year, said though the Union government has been of little help, he would not indulge in any political mudslinging.

“The Maharashtra government has not yet received its due GST amount. The Centres share of train ticket cost (for facilitating transportation of migrant labourers to their native places) is yet to be received. There is still shortage of some medicines. Earlier, we did face shortage of PPE kits and other equipment, he said.

Also read: What Maharashtra Can Do to Tackle COVID-19 While Easing the Lockdown

“We can’t say that lockdown will be over by 31st May. We will have to see how we will go forward. The coming time is crucial as multiplication of virus is picking up. I want to assure the medical fraternity that we are with them in all ways,” Thackeray said.

‘Ill-advised to reopen airports in red zone’

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh said it was “extremely ill-advised” to reopen airports in red zone amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“Its extremely ill-advised to reopen airports in red zone. Mere thermal scanning of passengers inadequate w/o swabs. Impossible to have autos/cabs/buses ply in current circumstances. Adding positive passenger will add Covid stress to red zone,” Deshmukh tweeted on Sunday.


Of the 47,190 cases in Maharashtra, 28,817 are from Mumbai. The financial capital also accounts for 949 COVID-19 deaths. The worst-hit Mumbai Metropolitan Region, which includes Mumbai and surrounding satellite towns, has reported 36,173 cases and 1,069 deaths.

(With inputs from PTI)