Scheduled international flight services resumed in India on Sunday, two years after a ban was imposed on most foreign flights due to the coronavirus pandemic. Reacting to the development, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that this will help connect India with the world.
According to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, six Indian airlines and 60 foreign airlines will start connecting India with 63 countries from Sunday onwards. According to the new summer schedule, foreign airlines will operate 1,783 weekly flights, while Indian carriers will operate 1,466 departures every week. Market leader IndiGo will operate 505 departures per week, followed by Tata Group-owned Air India at 361 weekly flights, and its subsidiary Air India Express at 340 flights per week. The summer schedule refers to the period between March 27 until October 29.
As per the last schedule prepared before the pandemic hit, a total of 4,700 international flight departures were being operated every week from Indian airports - with the split between international and domestic being approximately 50:50. Till Saturday, international flights in India were operating through air bubble arrangements with 37 countries.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Civil Aviation announced updated guidelines for international travel. Flight cabin crew will no longer be required to wear PPE kits, the updated guidelines state. In addition to this, flights won’t have to keep three seats vacant for medical emergency purposes. However, wearing face masks and maintaining social distance is still mandatory.
“Airlines may carry a few additional PPE protective gears, sanitiser and N-95 masks, to handle any respiratory infections related to cases on air, for passengers as well as the crew,” the ministry said.
The two-year suspension on scheduled flights was imposed in March 2020 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. A few overseas flights were operated under bilateral air bubble agreements with other countries.
On March 8, the civil aviation ministry announced that regular overseas flights will resume from March 27 amid a decline in Covid-19 cases. The countries that get added as a result of scheduled operations include Iran, Malaysia, South Korea, Poland, Myanmar, Turkey, Yemen and Egypt. Even as scheduled operations replace air bubble flights, the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will continue to be applicable for international arrivals into India.
