All private airlines including GoAir and Spicejet are to start taking bookings from 16th May 2020. While other airlines like Vistara are to start their flights from 1st June 2020, Air India is yet to start taking bookings, the authorities have not clarified if they really want to start with the bookings or not. 

Almost all Indian Airlines have started to take flight bookings into consideration. All the websites of all the sites show that all the airlines are almost ready to take all bookings since Saturday. Private jet charters are also starting to reopen their services – check out this list for the ones that we’re able to stay in business.

The move was taken by the owners of the companies, exactly a week after they are stripped by the aviation ministry. These companies were taking bookings even after the restrictions implied by the aviation minister. They were told not to do bookings until further instructions as the pandemic continued to spread.

In the first instance, while private airlines had restarted taking bookings for only a few days and then restarted, it was Air India’s move on 18 April to join their ranks that had upset the authorities. They were then forced to tell all airlines to stop bookings. It is not clear if the airlines have got the ministry’s approval to restart bookings.

The central government eased some restrictions for some businesses on Saturday and it is possible airlines took that as a signal to restart their business activities, not coming a day too soon for them as they struggle with high fixed costs in a highly competitive sector. All airlines responded by effecting job or pay cuts or sending their staff on leave without pay.

All the booking would be direct with the airline, no MakeMyTrip or any such agencies would be related to the flight booking. The previous time that is after 22nd March none of the third party agencies were able to give back the refund.