From today, on orders from aviation regulator DGCA, airline IndiGo will cancel its flights on the Delhi-Istanbul and Chennai-Kuala Lumpur.
"These are purely temporary and precautionary measures. We understand that these measures will cause inconvenience to our customers and we will be refunding the full amount to the impacted passengers," the airline stated in a press release.
The airline has already cancelled flights between Bangalore-Kuala Lumpur until March 31, 2020 and Delhi-Kuala Lumpur until April 30, 2020.
The DGCA had instructed airlines not to allow passengers to board from coronavirus-affected countries.
“Travel of passengers from member countries of the European Union, the European Free Trade Association, Turkey and the United Kingdom to India is prohibited with effect from 18th March 2020. No airline shall board a passenger from these nations to India with effect from 1200 GMT on 18th March 2020. The airline shall enforce this at the port of initial departure,” the advisory read.
Earlier, all existing visas to India were suspended with effect from March 13.
“All existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/International Organizations, employment, project visas, stand suspended till 15th April 2020. This will come into effect from 1200 GMT on 13thMarch 2020 at the port of departure,” said an official release.
More than 8,200 people have died globally till now due to COVID-19. Many countries across the world have partially or completely sealed their borders, causing major airlines across the world to ground most of their planes.
With inputs from agencies
