India extends ban on scheduled international flights

Muscat: India's Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Friday extended the suspension on scheduled international passenger flights till November 30, 2021.

“However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis,” the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said in the statement.

All scheduled international flights to and from India were banned from March 2020 following the Covid pandemic. The flight ban has been extended towards the end of every month since then by the regulator.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation has signed bilateral air bubble agreements with several countries.

India has formed air bubble pacts with around 25 countries, including Oman, the US, the UK, Kenya, Bhutan, and France.

Rules stipulate that special international flights can be operated by their airlines following an air bubble pact between two countries, irrespective of the travel ban, which initially came into place on March 22, 2020.