After aviation minister's 'advice', Air India stops bookings on all flight

Air India has stopped taking bookings on all flights, said its officials, a day after Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri "advised" airlines to open bookings only after the government takes a decision on resuming passenger flights.

The minister's comment came on Saturday night, hours after the national carrier stated that it has opened bookings on select domestic flights from May 4 and on select international flights from June 1.

Amid the second phase of the coronavirus-induced lockdown, Air India officials said on Sunday: "We have stopped all forward bookings now. Any passenger who has booked tickets on a flight, which has been cancelled, would be getting a credit voucher for future travel."

On April 3, during the first phase of the lockdown, Air India had announced that it has stopped bookings on both domestic and international flights till April 30.

A notification on Air India's website on Saturday read, "Bookings for select domestic flights for travel from May 4, ...