The ban on overseas flights has been extended by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The ban on international commercial flights to and from India was set to terminate on July 31, according to an earlier notice. The ban has been extended until August 31.
However, “overseas scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case to case basis,” said the circular by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
The decision comes amid the threat of a looming third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the emergence of the Delta variant of the virus in several countries.
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The DGCA, in its latest circular, said the ban shall remain in place till 2359 hrs Indian Standard Time (IST) of August 31, 2021. However, it shall not apply to cargo flights and those approved by the regulatory body.
“This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA. However. Overseas scheduled flights may be allowed on select routes by the competent authority on a case to case basis” the circular noted.
Notably, Scheduled overseas passenger services have been suspended in India since 23 March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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However, Special overseas flights were operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral ‘air bubble’ arrangements with selected nations from July 2020.
India has air bubble pacts with 24 countries including the US, the UK, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France.
Aviation companies continue to face losses as Covid-19 continues to derail the revival of the aviation industry as well as the travel and tourism industry as cases continue to rise in several parts of the world despite the US, the UK and several nations in the European Union (EU) vaccinating its citizens at a faster pace.
