India to resume scheduled int'l flights from December 15

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NEW DELHI: The Civil Aviation Ministry said on Friday that scheduled international flights to and from India will be resumed from December 15 after 20 months of Coronavirus-induced suspension and noted that the “matter has been reviewed and the competent authority” had decided to resume such flights.

However, the countries deemed ‘at risk’ of COVID-19 by the Union Health Ministry will be allowed to operate only a certain percentage of their pre-Covid scheduled flights, the Aviation Ministry clarified.

The Health Ministry on Friday said the countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, and South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel have been put in the ‘at-risk’ category.

India’s decision to resume scheduled international passenger flights has come at a time when various countries such as Britain, Germany, Singapore, Israel, France and Italy have restricted air travel from southern Africa where a new Coronavirus variant of serious health implications has been reported. The Centre on Thursday asked all states and union territories to conduct rigorous screening and testing of all international travellers coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong and Botswana, where a new Coronavirus variant has been detected.

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