India bans domestic passenger flights till April 14

India on Friday has banned domestic passenger flights till April 14 in order to prevent transmission of coronavirus.

On March 23, the government had banned all domestic passenger flights from March 25 till March 31. Cargo flights are exempt from the order.

In India, SpiceJet is the only private airline which has a dedicated freight segment called SpiceXpress, which is operating five freighter aircraft.

GoAir and IndiGo have also written to the government, expressing interest in ferry of essential items and medical supplies.

Indian market was considered one of the fastest growing markets in the world. The ban on domestic and international passenger flights till April 14 will mean grounding of over 650 aircraft in the country and unprecedented losses to the industry.

As per aviation consultancy firm CAPA, India's aviation sector may incur losses of $3.3-3.6 billion in April-June and Indian Airlines may face loss of $1.75 billion in April-June.

"It is increasingly looking like April-June quarter will be a washout for airlines. Urgent government intervention is needed to minimize long-term impact. IndiGo's enviable cash reserves may be wiped out, small airlines may exit And a smaller consolidated airline industry may emerge on the other side," CAPA added.