Highlights
- No timeline yet on when will India resume international flights
- Around 38,000 Indian citizens have returned from on special repatriation flights
- 8 repatriation flights planned from Australia from June 17-24
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said India will decide on resuming international flights as soon as countries ease restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals.
“Globally the situation is far from normal,” the Minister said on Twitter, explaining how India was considering resuming international flight operations.
“Due to increasing demand for resumption of scheduled international flights by people who want to travel abroad due to compelling reasons, I reviewed the state of international flight operations around the world.
“Most countries have less than 10% international operations because they are allowing entry only to their own citizens & have placed restrictions on foreign nationals. Many are allowing inbound flights from few countries but have also placed restrictions of quarantine/isolation.
“We have let outbound passengers on VBM flights to fly to countries which allow them entry. More than 13500 people have flown out of India. Air India has sold another 22000 tickets for flights to US & Canada yesterday (5-6 June). Bookings for Europe & other places will open soon.
“Another 100,000 passengers flew out of India & around 38,000 inbound Indian citizens returned on around 640 chartered flights. More such flights are being given permissions.
“A decision to resume regular international operations will be taken as soon as countries ease restrictions on entry of foreign nationals. Destination countries have to be ready to allow incoming flights,” the Minister said.
In its latest travel advisory related to COVID-19, the Indian government has announced all international flights will remain banned till June 30, 2020.
Meanwhile, eight repatriation flights have been planned from Australia from June 17-24.
Source: Twitter / Indian High Commission in Canberra
Four flights will leave from Sydney and from Melbourne between June 17 and 24, the Indian High Commission in Canberra has announced.
The second phase includes flights to New Delhi, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Kochi and Hyderabad.
Register for repatriation flights here.
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