India says will consider allowing int'l flights to country after April 15

Resumption of international flights will be considered on a case-by-case basis after India's lockdown ends and will depend on which countries they are coming from, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday.

"Any incoming flights to bring Indians back home will have to await the lifting of the lockdown," he told reporters at a press conference.

"The lockdown is till April 15. And, we can start considering the resumption of flights on a case-by-case basis depending on where they are coming from after that," Puri said.

India is under a 21-day lockdown till April 14 and therefore, all domestic and international commercial passenger flights have been suspended for this time period.

However, cargo flights, medical evacuation flights, offshore helicopter operations and flights specially permitted by the aviation regulator DGCA can operate during this time period.