Although the ban on international passenger flights to and from India has been extended until October 31, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has provided certain rules and relaxations during this month.
The ministry clarified that the suspension does not affect the operation of operations and international flights exclusively for cargo specifically approved by the DGCA.
The restriction is also due to embargoes that other countries have to check the number of Covid-19 infections, in addition to the Covid-19 figures from India. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral “air bubble” agreements with selected countries since July.
Here are certain changes for the Indian ruffles in October:
New destinations:
Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, with the ministry establishing air bubble agreements with Oman, Indians can now travel to and from 16 countries.
The list of countries includes Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Maldives, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.
Germany cancels all flights with India until October 20:
In a major dispute, the air bubble agreement with Germany was suspended until October 20 due to what it called an “unexpected rejection” of its scheduled October flight schedule by Indian authorities, reported the Director General of Civil Aviation, adding that negotiations are currently underway.
“India formalized an air bubble with Germany in July 2020. An air bubble agreement allows citizens of both countries to travel in either direction. However, there are restrictions for Indian citizens wishing to travel to Germany, which places Indian airlines at a disadvantage resulting in uneven distribution of traffic in Lufthansa’s favor, ”said the DGCA.
Flights Vande Bharat Mission
Apart from the establishment of the air bubble, the Vande Bharat mission to bring back the stranded Indians from abroad continues to function. The initiative began in the first week of May as a result of the Covid-19 blockade. More destinations are being added to Vande Bharat flights. Air India Express will begin direct flights from Mangalore to Dubai in October.
Baggage rules:
The Civil Aviation Ministry, in a move to increase ancillary revenue for airlines, revised its guideline in terms of baggage limitation, allowing carriers to establish respective policies based on their internal practices.
In an order dated September 23, 2020, the ministry said “the luggage limitation would be according to airline policies.”
The new amendments go into effect to restore the checked baggage limit to 15kg, based on pre-Covid rules. The limit was previously increased to 20 kg during the exchange of flights in a calibrated manner from May 25, in the wake of the new coronavirus pandemic. Previous guidelines also allowed only one check-in bag during travel.
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