The DGCA has further extended the ban on international flights till August 31. The decision comes amid the threat of a looming third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and the emergence of the Delta variant of the virus in several countries. As per the earlier announcement, the ban on international commercial flights to and from India was ending on July 31. On the other hand, the Philippines on Friday extended travel restrictions for those coming from India and nine other countries till August 15 to check the spread of Delta COVID-19 variant amid a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the country.
The DGCA, in its latest circular, said the ban shall remain in place till 2359 hrs Indian Standard Time (IST) of August 31, 2021. "This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA. However. International scheduled flights may be allowed on select routes by the competent authority on a case to case basis" the circular noted. Despite the broader restrictions on international travel, certain flights were allowed to operate subsequently to repatriate stranded citizens or eligible cases.
Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India on March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The aviation authority has extended the ban several times since then.
While domestic flights resumed in May, international travel remained suspended as COVID-19 cases remained at high levels.
Maldives, Switzerland, Russia, Ukraine, Qatar, Turkey, Iceland, Costa Rica, Nepal, and France have opened travel for non-essential travel. Maldives and Russia currently rank high on the list of preferred leisure travel destinations. Switzerland and Qatar are the two countries that have made it mandatory for Indian travellers to be fully vaccinated. According to Swiss rules, children have to be quarantined, which is why fewer tourists are opting to travel to Switzerland.
