International flights to remain suspended till July 31

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the suspension on international commercial flight operations by one month till July 31, 2021.

New Delhi: India has extended the suspension on international commercial flight operations till July 31, 2021. In a circular issued on Wednesday, the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said the suspension on international commercial passenger services to and from India has been extended by one month.

"In partial modification of circular dated 26-06-2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the above subject cited above regarding scheduled international commercial passenger services to and from India till 2359 hrs IST of 31 July, 2021," the circular said.

However, this restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA, the circular clarified. “International scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis,” it added.

In a similar circular issued by the DGCA on May 28, 2021, the suspension was extended till June 30, 2021.

The decision to extend the suspension comes as India battles a second wave of coronavirus, even though daily cases have seen a steady decline over the past several weeks. Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in the country since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020, and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with select countries since July 2020.

The government has formed air bubble pacts with more than 27 countries including the US, the UAE, Kenya, Bhutan and France. Under an air bubble pact between two countries, special international flights can be operated by their airlines between their territories.