After aviation regulator, Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a circular asking airlines to stop taking bookings for travels after May 3, last day of the lockdown, budget carrier Indigo has closed all its bookings till May 31, 2020.

“There was no direction/clearance, which allows the airlines to start bookings for the journeys to be undertaken wef the 4th of May 2020. Further, it has been noted that airlines have started booking tickets for journeys wef from 4th of May 2020. In this respect, it is brought to the notice of all concerned that no decision to commence the operation of domestic/international flights wef the 4thof May 2020 has been taken yet. In view of this, all airlines are hereby directed to refrain from booking tickets as described above,” the DGCA had said in the circular issued on Sunday.

State-run Air India has already stopped taking bookings till May 31 and all other private airlines are also ready to follow the regulators’ directives.

The circular had further said that the government will inform the companies on when they can recommence their operations.

“Further the airlines may note that they shall be given sufficient notice and time for restarting operations,” the circular stated.

The circular was issued after the Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri said that no decision has been taken so far to commence operations of domestic and International flights post the lockdown.

“The Ministry of Civil Aviation clarifies that so far no decision has been taken to open domestic or international operations. Airlines are advised to open their bookings only after a decision in this regard has been taken by the Government,” Puri had said in a tweet.

The nationwide lockdown and the delay in restarting the operations have already caused a massive loss to the aviation industry. Companies like Go Air have already started furloughing their 90 per cent of the total employee count.

It is highly likely that the trend will be followed by other companies as well. This will result in thousands of people getting unemployed, at a time when the country’s economic condition is failing to show any positivity.

Meanwhile, keeping the government’s and regulator’s directives in view, the airline executives have requested 15-day advance notice before they are allowed to restart their flight operations. This will give them time to put their inventory on sale.