Flights to UK to begin but not from Chennai

Flights to UK to begin but not from Chennai

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

05.01.2021

Flyers to London will have to go via Bengaluru or Hyderabad as there will not be any direct flight from Chennai when services resume on January 8. The ministry of civil aviation has allowed direct flights only from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

This has hit many who had arrived earlier and have tickets to fly back from Chennai. Refund is not an option because they have already used one leg of the ticket. The airline has allowing them to shift the date of travel but they have to fly domestic to board flights from Bengaluru or Delhi.

Basheer Ahmed of Metro Travels said, “The ministry has allowed more frequency to airports other than those in the south because of the worry of the new strain. People from other TN towns will have to fly to Chennai and then to Bengaluru or Delhi to board direct flights.”

There will be two services from Bengaluru, three services, from Hyderabad, five services from Mumbai and five services from Delhi per week.The ministry has allowed outbound flights to resume from January 6 and inbound flights from January 8.

“The resumption of services is only temporary. People are looking to postpone trips. The restriction on the number of flights is likely to affect reopening of international sector,” said Ahmed.

Sources said Air India may start a direct flight from Chennai to London this month. “However, the state government is unlikely to allow services on the route. The four metro airports except Chennai have been identified as gateway airports for international flights during the shutdown so that passengers can be screened in a more efficient manner,” said an airport official.