Delhi flight ban confusion shows India’s pains to contain coronavirus

Arvind Kejriwal, the chief minister of Delhi, declared no flights — domestic or international — will be allowed to land in the Indian capital’s main airport from 6 a.m. Monday. Hours after that deadline passed, dozens of planes have been operating from the Indira Gandhi International Airport.

That’s because Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration overturned the ban, with the regulator Director General of Civil Aviation saying the airport will “remain functional.” The confusion is symptomatic of how India’s federal structure — with central and state governments often ruled by different political parties — pulling in different directions is set to pose challenges in containing the spread of the coronavirus.