India: Scheduled international flights suspended till February 28

Scheduled international flights will not start operating as of now. As per the latest reports, Indian government has extended suspension of scheduled international flights till February 28, 2021. However, scheduled flights under the travel bubbles and Vande Bharat Mission flights will continue to operate. So far, India is in travel bubble agreement with 24 countries, including United States, Kenya, Bhutan, France, and Germany.

Referring to the, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued an order recently regarding suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India till 11.59 PM (IST) of February 28, 2021. The order further added that this restriction will not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA, and that international scheduled flights will be allowed only on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis. The Coronavirus-induced suspension of scheduled international flights was imposed on March 23, 2020, which has now been further extended till February 28, 2021. Since the flights were suspended, India has been operating Vande Bharat Mission flights to many places and has also formed air bubbles with more than 20 countries. International air travel has been happening on both air bubble and VBM arrangements for selected category of travellers. Apart from this, all-cargo international flights are being allowed, whereas the DGCA approves flights on a case-to-case basis.