Airlines reach out to centre for bailout from Covid-19 impact

HYDERABAD: A day after India decided to quarantine itself from the rest of the world for a month to fight the Covid-19 crisis, several airlines have reached out to the civil aviation ministry seeking to bail them out from the adverse impacts of the outbreak.

Industry players are now preparing to air their concerns at the CEOs’ conclave scheduled with civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday at the civil aviation summit — Wings India 2020 — being held in Hyderabad. Airlines are seeking incentives including a significant slash in taxes on aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and waiver or reduction in landing and parking charges, among others, said the civil aviation joint secretary Usha Padhee. “There has been a lot of reduction in (air) traffic. There has been (an) indirect impact.