Aviation Ministry says international flight operations expected to return to normal soon

Regular international flight operations will resume soon, Rajiv Bansal, Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, announced on Wednesday. The international passenger flights were suspended in March 2020 due to the emergence of the coronavirus. And the government had extended the suspension till 30 November 2021 in an order issued recently. These restrictions will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights which were approved by DGCA as there are special flights permitted under "air bubble" arrangements with other countries.

The air bubble arrangement between the two countries allows the international passenger flights to carry passengers into the other country under certain conditions. Earlier in October, the government gave the green light to allow domestic flights to operate without any capacity restriction. As a result, domestic air travel grew by 27.15% as the COVID-19 cases in the country declined considerably. Civil Aviation minister Scindia recently said that the government is working to resume normal international travel operations, given that the conditions are safe for everyone. As of now, India has “air bubble” agreements with several countries like the US, the UK, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France.

Scindia on the situation

Scindia said, “We are evaluating the process. We are coming back to normalcy. First, we allowed 100% passenger capacity in our domestic flights and now we allowed in-flight meals in those flights.” He added that the authorities must vary of the pandemic, “We want to resume international operations but in a safe environment. Despite vaccinations, countries like Russia and parts of Europe are fighting the fourth wave of the pandemic. Hence, we cannot let our guard down." He continued, “Let’s not erase our memories so soon, getting infected with the covid-19 virus is the worst thing possible." He also said that the aviation industry will add at least 2,000 aircraft in the next ten years.

(with PTI inputs)

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