Keeping in view the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India will remain suspended until November 30, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Wednesday.
The aviation regulator said, “Suspension on scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India extended till November 30."
"However, the international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis,” the Indian aviation regulator said in a circular.
Despite the suspension, Indians who wish to travel can take a journey to certain countries under the “air bubbles” mechanism which has been in operation since mid-July.
India has established Air Bubble arrangements with many countries including Kenya, Bhutan, US, the UK, Canada, the UAE, Qatar, Nigeria, Maldives, Japan, Iraq, Germany etc.
When two countries arrange for an air bubble agreement, under such arrangement, special international passenger flights can be operated by the respective countries airlines into each other’s territories under restrictive conditions.
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India resumed its scheduled domestic passenger's flights on May 25 after a gap of two months amid the pandemic travel restrictions.
The scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23 after the nation went into a lockdown and travel restrictions were imposed around the world. But special international flights remained in operation the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under the bilateral ”air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July, mostly to bring back stranded people from other countries.