The government has issued a circular directing all airlines to and from India to help passengers as more and more flights get delayed or cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The circular issued by the Office of the Director-General of Civil Aviation pointed out that passengers were facing a lot of hardships as flights are being 'curtailed, cancelled and disrupted almost on the daily basis'.
"In the current scenario, it would be appropriate id airlines support their passengers in this tough time by waving off cancellation/reschedule charges or by providing any other incentive," the circular said.
It directed all scheduled International Airlines operating to/from India to consider and take appropriate call 'in light of hardships faced by the passengers."
The government has already put several restrictions on air travel in the country. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday had announced that Union Ministers will not fly abroad due to the outbreak.
Earlier too all visas except few like diplomatic and employment were cancelled by the government. Every passenger flying into India from outside needs to go through a mandatory check-up at the airport.
The Health Ministry has issued travel advisories restricting travel to several countries hit by the virus and advising people to avoid any non-essential travel.
The total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 has reached 75 in India. The country also had its first casualty due to the novel coronavirus after a 76-year-old man died in Karnataka.
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