Ban on International Flights Extended Till June End

The ban on international commercial flights has been extended till 30 June, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said in a circular this week. 

"However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," the Directorate General of Civil Aviation added.

The ban on international flights was scheduled to end on May 31, after a 14-month hiatus.

International flights have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020 but special flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission and under bilateral air bubble arrangements. Air bubbles are temporary arrangements reached between two countries to restore commercial passenger services as the regular international flights remain suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  India has formed air bubble pacts with around 27 countries, as part of its ongoing attempt to ease restrictions on international travel amidst the coronavirus pandemic. These include Russia, Tanzania, USA, Canada, Germany, and France. Among the latest countries to be added to the list were Seychelles and Uzbekistan. Flights from both sides will fly under the agreement, but it has yet to be announced which airlines will operate the services. 

The decision to extend the suspension of international flights comes as India battles a second wave of the pandemic. The country has seen a rapid rise in COVID-19 cases and the death count has also gone up. This has resulted in many countries announcing a ban on Indian travellers.&nbspA few though have kept their doors open. 

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry data updated on Friday shows that the single-day rise in COVID-19 cases in India fell below the 2 lakh mark for the second time this month taking the total caseload to 2,75,55,457. Hope floats