Scheduled international flights have been suspended till July 31, 2021; the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a circular regarding this. The suspension was to end on June 20, after a 15-month gap.
DGCA, in its notification, stated that this restriction will, however, not apply to international all-cargo operations flights that have been approved by it.
It also added that international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case to case basis.
Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May last year, and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July.
The DGCA has extended the ban on international flights multiple times since March 2020.
As of now, India is in air bubble arrangements with 27 countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Bhutan, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Maldives, Nepal, Rwanda, Ukraine, Kuwait, Uzbekistan, Germany, Nigeria, France, among others.
As per the said agreement, special international flights can operate between two countries by their airlines between their territories.
