Negotiations were going on and a decision will be taken soon.
new Delhi:
The US announced sanctions on Air India’s special repatriation flights alleging “unfair and discriminatory practices”, with the government saying today that it is investigating requests by the US and other countries to operate these flights. The Ministry of Civil Aviation said that it is making bilateral arrangements with countries to bring back Indians trapped in various countries due to the coronovirus epidemic.
The US Department of Transportation said on Monday that Air India’s charters “go beyond actual repatriation, and it appears that Air India may use repatriation charters as a way to circumvent flight restrictions”.
In response to this, the government said it was looking at the possibility of bilateral arrangements only for repatriation flights operated by the national carrier Air India.
The ministry said that repatriation flights are also increasingly taking foreign nationals to their country. “As we consider further opening in response to the demands, we are seeing the possibility of setting up individual bilateral bubbles – India-US, India-France, India-Germany, India-UK.”
Negotiations were going on and a decision will be taken soon.
Countries like the US, France and Germany have requested that their airlines be allowed to operate repatriation flights like Air India. “These requests are being investigated. We have held a round of talks with the US on June 15 with representatives of the US Department of Transportation and the US embassy on this issue. They were invited to submit an accurate proposal in this regard. The details of these requests were received on 19 June, “the ministry statement said.
The US, which imposed the restrictions, said the airline would have to apply for permission before operating special flights so that they could be “examined more closely”. The transport department said the restrictions would be reconsidered when India lifts the ban on US carriers.
The department complained that since US Airlines is currently banned from flying in India, it “creates a competitive disadvantage for US carriers.”
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