The Government has further extended the suspension on commercial international flights till October 31, 2021. In a circular issued by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Tuesday, however, said the restriction will not be applicable for international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. Also, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis.
"In partial modification of circular dated 26-06-2020, the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the subject cited above regarding Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 23:59 hrs IST of 31st October, 2021. This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA," the circular reads.
Last month, the DGCA had extended the suspension on scheduled international commercial passenger flights till 30 September.
To check the spread of the Covid-19 infection, commercial international flights were suspended since March 23, 2020. Special international flights were also operating under the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ since May 2020 to bring home thousands of Indian nationals stranded abroad due to the coronavirus lockdown.
Amid pandemic, India has formed air bubble pacts with 27 countries including the US, the UK, 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.
Meanwhile, the DGCA also said, flight crew members and air traffic controllers will be tested by their employers for psychoactive substances such as cannabis and cocaine from January 31 next year.
Airlines and air navigation service providers will have to carry out random drug-testing of at least 10 per cent of the flight crew members and air traffic controllers employed by them every year, it said.