Normal international flight operations will restart around April-June this year when it is anticipated that a large number of people will be vaccinated worldwide, the Economic Times reported in a study citing senior government officials.
“In three to four months, we expect that a substantial number of people will get vaccinated across the globe. That will bring in exemption from tests and quarantine measures for vaccinated passengers and will help bring normalcy in flying,” the business daily quoted an unnamed senior government official as saying. This matter will be part of the consultations that the aviation ministry will have with the home ministry on resuming international flights.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, in its guidelines on the easing of the Covid-19 restrictions released on Wednesday, said that the Ministry of Civil Aviation, in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, will take a decision to further free up international air travel for passengers.
The official told ET that the resumption of India’s international flights will also rely on how other nations react and the demand for travel.
“Restart of regular international flights will depend a lot on the response from other countries but we have flight bubbles with so many countries, which could be looked at initially,” the business daily quoted another senior government official as saying.
As part of its measures to control coronavirus spread, the government banned routine international and domestic flights in March. Air India’s restricted international flights were approved in early May under the Vande Bharat Scheme and were later extended to allow flights under the bubble arrangement by foreign carriers. The government extended the ban on scheduled trading yesterday.
India currently has bubble flight contracts with 23 countries, including the US and the UK. Temporary arrangements between two countries are bubble deals aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when daily international flights are suspended and are of a reciprocal nature.
The International Air Transport Association is also in support of resuming cross-border flights and lifting travel restrictions for vaccinated individuals with countries such as India beginning their vaccination drives