DGCA extends ban on international flights until further orders

Flights under air bubble arrangements and international cargo flights are allowed to continue, the aviation regulator has said.

The suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger flights to and from India has been extended by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) until further orders on 28th February 2022.

According to the aviation regulator, these limits will not apply to international all-cargo operations or aircraft operated under the air bubble arrangement. In January, the DGCA extended the ban on foreign flights from and to India, citing an increase in Coronavirus infections throughout the world.

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The Central government is expected to restart international flights by the end of March, or at the start of the airline’s summer schedule, but the government has opted to postpone the plan due to the increasing cases of the Omicron variant. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, all scheduled overseas flights were limited on March 23 of last year and are still prohibited.

However, under air-bubble agreements, special passenger flights have been flying between India and around 40 countries from July 2020. Air transport bubbles exist between India and 40 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Special international flights can be performed by their airlines between their boundaries under an air bubble treaty between two governments.

During the pre-COVID-19 period, Indian carriers used to fly close to 3,000 flights each day. Even as it confronts the impact of COVID-19 on the industry, the aviation sector has been seeking a decrease in excise tax on aviation turbine fuel (ATF).