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The Outbreak Of Omicron Scheduled international Flights To Remain Suspended Till February

Cabcelled Flights

In November 2021, India decided to resume scheduled international flights from December. Regular international flights have remained suspended in India since March 23, 2020.

Recently the Director General of Civil Aviation said in a fresh order that scheduled international commercial flights to and from India will remain suspended till February 28. DGCA said that Flights under air bubble arrangements will not be affected. This decision is taken because as the world is braving a fresh wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, driven by Omicron, the latest variant of the SARS-CoV-2.

According to the report, in November 2021, the Centre decided to resume scheduled international flight operations from December 15. But now the emergence of Omicron threw a spanner in the plan and the government withdrew the decision to resume scheduled international flights days before January 15.

Before the scheduled international flights have been suspended in India from March 23, 2020, two days before a nationwide lockdown was imposed in the country. The suspension was extended every month allowing emergency international travel under the air bubble agreements.

DGCA

The suspension was extended every month allowing emergency international travel under the air bubble agreements.

India has air transport bubbles with Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, US and Uzbekistan. The agreements have been allowed by both-way air travel under some terms and conditions. 

No direct air travel is allowed to countries not covered under air travel bubble agreements. 

International air travel has come on the radar as Omicron, though the variant was first detected in South Africa on November 24, 2021, travelled to India through international travellers. The first Omicron cases where first prompted to Delhi, West Bengal to raise demand for banning international flights from countries worst-affected by Omicron. 

Flights under the air bubble agreement were not banned but India identified some countries as ‘at-risk’. The list of countries includes Europe, including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zambia.

The list of countries includes Europe, including the UK, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Ghana, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Hong Kong, Israel, Congo, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Nigeria, Tunisia and Zambia.

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