Updated: October 18, 2020 8:52:34 pm
Domestic passenger services resumed as of May 25 after a two-month gap due to a strict Covid-19 lockdown. (File photo)
Indians can now fly to 18 countries, with the Civil Aviation Ministry establishing “air bubble” deals with two more countries, Ukraine and Bangladesh, this week despite the fact that scheduled international flights remain prohibited as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, several jurisdictions and nations such as Hong Kong and Germany have suspended flights with India due to Covid-19 cases and schedules, respectively. Special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral air bubble pacts signed with various countries since July.
What is an air bubble / travel bubble?
Aimed at restarting commercial passenger services, air bubbles are temporary reciprocal arrangements between two countries that allow international passenger flights to carry passengers in any direction without restrictions. This helps avoid a number of quarantine and Covid-19 test rules at arrival destinations. This type of arrangement is established between two countries that are perceived as safe.
It is different from repatriation flights, which are one-way and passengers must register with the embassy to board such flights.
Passengers wait to board a humanitarian flight to Canada at La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. (AP Photo / Moises Castillo)
What country is does India has air bubble deals with?
Currently, India has air bubble agreements with 18 countries. They are the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, United Arab Emirates, Maldives, Canada, Japan, Bahrain, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Qatar, Iraq, Oman, Bhutan, Kenya, Bangladesh and Ukraine.
Bangladesh will resume flights to India from October 28. Under the air bubble deal, three Bangladeshi airlines, Biman Bangladeshi Airlines, US-Bangla Airlines and Novo Air, would initially operate 28 flights per week, while five Indian airlines, Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet, Vistara and GoAir would operate 28 weekly flights between the two countries, The Daily Star reported. Initially, around 5,000 passengers from both countries could fly each week.
Under the agreement with the United States, Air India has added flights three times a week between Delhi and Newark. The airline also operates flights between London and Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Goa.
Passengers at Fiumicino Rome Airport show their COVID-19 rapid test reports while boarding a flight. (AP)
Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri also said India was negotiating with 13 other countries to establish air bubble deals. These countries include Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Israel, Kenya, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand.
Besides this, Indian carriers are also operating some flights under the Vande Bharat Mission that transport stranded people from other nations to India. As of October 16, the Air India group operated 6,987 repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat mission, carrying more than 9.10 lakh passengers, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
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What countries have suspended / restricted flights from India?
Hong Kong has banned Air India and Vistara flights from October 17 to 30 after some passengers on their flights tested positive for Covid-19 upon arrival. This is the third time Hong Kong has banned Air India flights from India. The previous bans were from September 20 to October 3 and from August 18 to August 31.
India and Germany It recently had consequences on the number of flights allowed, leading to the suspension of the air bubble agreement between the two countries. However, services will resume from October 26, and Air India will operate flights until March 28, 2021, the airline said in a tweet.
#FlyAI: Air India will operate flights between India-Germany from October 26, March 20 to March 28, 21.
Reservations are opened through AI’s website, reservation offices, call center, and authorized travel agents. pic.twitter.com/KHCvZo4VkM
– Air India (@airindiain) October 16, 2020
On October 2, Air India announced the cancellation of its flights to Frankfurt until October 14 after Germany withdrew its approval given to the airline to operate under the air bubble deal. This was preceded by the Indian side asking Lufthansa to reduce its hours, leading the German airline to cancel its flights to India until October 20.
Dubai had also banned Air India flights after the airline carried Covid-19-positive passengers on two different occasions. Although Dubai has now allowed flights to resume from India, it has named four Indian laboratories whose Covid-19 test results will not be considered valid. The authorities have asked Air India Express to reject negative reports of RT-PCR tests from these laboratories: Suryam Lab, Jaipur; Microhealth Laboratory, Kerala; Dr. P Bhasin Pathlabs (P) Ltd in Delhi and Noble Diagnostic Center, also in Delhi.
Middle East Airlines passengers wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus await to be tested for the COVID-19 virus by Nigerian port health officials upon arrival at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. (AP)
Last month, Saudi Arabia banned flights to and from India amid a surge in coronavirus cases, but later allowed passenger flights to India under the Vande Bharat mission.
What is the situation on the home front?
With India in peak festival season, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said last week that airlines could be allowed to operate flights up to 75 percent of their pre-Covid schedule if passenger numbers continue to be healthy. This comes after the government on September 2 allowed domestic airlines to operate up to 60 percent of their pre-Covid services.
Domestic passenger services resumed as of May 25 after a two-month gap due to a strict Covid-19 lockdown. However, airlines were allowed to operate flights that did not exceed 33 percent of their pre-Covid schedule.
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