India has extended the Covid-induced suspension on scheduled international passenger flights till September 30, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation on Sunday stated.
The aviation regulator added that international scheduled flights on chosen routes could possibly be permitted on a case-to-case basis by the competent authority.
India suspended scheduled international flights on March 23, 2020, amid a spike in Covid-19 situations in the nation at the get started of the pandemic. However, India has been operating specific international flights beneath its Vande Bharat Mission considering that May 2020. India has also agreed bilateral ‘air bubble’ arrangements with a number of nations considering that July 2020, permitting flight services to resume with these nations.
India has air bubble agreements with 25 nations such as the UK, the US, the United Arab Emirates, Bhutan, France, and Kenya. Under the arrangement, airlines can operate specific international flights involving the two territories.
The DGCA also stated in the circular that the suspension would not have an effect on international all-cargo operations and flights it had especially authorized.
Air-bubble arrangement
At present, India has bilateral agreements with Bahrain, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Iraq, Kuwait, Kenya, Nepal, the Maldives, Nigeria, the Netherlands, Qatar, Oman, Rwanda, Russia, Seychelles, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, the UK, and the US.
However, some nations that had ‘air bubble’ arrangements with India banned air travel to and from the nation at the peak of the second wave. These nations had been Australia, Canada, Bangladesh, Germany, France, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Italy, Kuwait, Iran, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.
While some nations lifted the ban later, a lot of other people are but to do so.
The UK lately elevated India to its amber list of nations. The elevation signifies travellers from India no longer have to undergo institutional quarantine upon getting into the nation.