NEW DELHI: Industry body Assocham on Friday welcomed the government's move to resume domestic flights saying that life and economic activity has to go on, and tourism and aviation alone can restart the economy.
Stating that 38 million jobs are at stake at present due to coronavirus-induced lockdown, only economic activity will help in saving them, ASSOCHAM Tourism Council Chairman Subhash Goyal said in a statement.
Hoping that international flights should start in June, he said, "Life and economic activity has to go on and we need to learn to co-exist with COVID-19 as we are travelling with yellow fever and TB."
Goyal, who is also secretary of the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality (FAITH), further said, "Tourism and aviation alone can restart the economy as they are the generators of employment, creators of jobs, and engines of economic growth."
He said, "Today, 38 million jobs are at stake and only economic activity will help in saving some of them."
On Thursday, the civil aviation ministry announced allowing about a third of domestic flight operations under strict norms from coming Monday after a two-month hiatus mandating all the airlines to adhere to the upper and lower limits of fares prescribed by the government.