India has extended the ban on scheduled international commercial passenger services till January 31. Earlier, the ban was to be lifted by December-end.
The latest restriction shall not apply to international all cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
India has also decided to extend the temporary suspension of flights to and from the UK till January 7. The temporary suspension, which came into effect on December 22, was earlier to be in place till December 31.
The decision for extending the temporary suspension of flights between UK and India was announced by Hardeep Puri, Minister of State, Civil Aviation, in a tweet. The Minister had hinted at a possible short extension on flights suspension between the two countries at his annual press conference here on Tuesday.
“Thereafter (post January 7) strictly regulated resumption will take place for which details will be announced shortly,” the Minister said.
India and the UK had established a bubble arrangement under which Virgin Atlantic and British Airways from the UK and Air India and Vistara from India were permitted to operate flights between the two nations.
The decision to temporarily suspend flights to and from the UK was taken after a new more serious strain of the coronavirus was discovered in Britain.
Before the temporary suspension came into effect, over 60 flights were operated between the two countries under the bubble arrangement, carrying about 2,500 passengers.