Unscheduled flights barred from Delhi skies for Thursday's swearing-in

Delhi airspace will be shut tomorrow for unscheduled flights around the time of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his council of ministers in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Delhi Air Traffic Control has issued NOTAM (notice to airmen) barring unscheduled flights in the radius of 300 km in and around Delhi from 4 PM to 11 PM on Thursday.

"No flight is permitted to takeoff or land at Indira Gandhi International Airport and subsidiary airports within 300 kilometres zone of Delhi," said the NOTAM, as accessed by ANI, which is issued for non-scheduled flights. Scheduled flights can operate as per norms.

The ceremony, which may last more than an hour, in the open will see the attendance of a few thousand guests including heads of government of BIMSTEC countries and Mauritius and Kyrgyzstan, political leaders, captains of industry, overseas friends of BJP and others.

NOTAM said that Indian Air Force (IAF), BSF and Army aviation helicopters undertaking airborne, quick response team and causality and immediate medical evacuation, state owned aircraft, flying with governor and chief minister are excluded.

Safdarjung and Rohini Helipads shall remain closed for non-scheduled operation during the ceremony, the NOTAM said.