No scheduled flights abroad till Aug 31; more travel bubbles likely
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi/Mumbai: 1.8.2020
The government has extended the suspension of scheduled international flights from July-end to August 31.
However, travel will take place within the air bubbles India has created with the US, Germany and France. In coming days more countries — like the UK, Canada and Israel — could have bubbles with India, allowing people, as per government norms, to travel to and from there. The most recent transport bubble agreement is the one with Kuwait “to uplift stranded passenger both to/ from India”, the DGCA said on Friday. More such arrangements are likely to fructify and ease passenger movements from different nations, it said. The continued suspension of scheduled international flights, however, does not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the regulator.
India had suspended scheduled international passenger flights on March 22. Since then, the DGCA note of Friday says, over “2,500 repatriation flights by foreign carriers to uplift stranded passengers to/from India have been approved. Under Vande Bharat Mission, Air India and AI Express have uplifted 2,67,436 stranded passengers and other charters have uplifted 4,86,811 stranded passengers between May 6 to July 30, 2020.”
The aviation ministry says resumption of schedule international flights will be considered once domestic flights reach the 50% mark of the originally approved summer schedule. Schedule domestic flights were allowed to resume on May 25 and so far airlines are operating at about 30% of the summer schedule. They have been allowed to raise the capacity to 45% by November 24, but this may be relaxed depending on how the pandemic situation develops.
Full report on www.toi.in
The aviation ministry said resumption of scheduled international flights will be considered once domestic flights reach the 50% mark of the originally approved summer schedule
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