2 Years Later, Hopes of Resuming Scheduled International Flights from India Rise

As the world starts to see the light at the end of the tunnel with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 now subsiding across the globe, stakeholders of air and international travel have suggested resuming scheduled flights between countries.

In fact, TOI reported that the aviation ministry in India spoke with the health ministry, wherein the return of scheduled flights are expected to be seen either by mid-March or by the end of March, right before the summer schedule begins.

As the public healthcare situation around the globe continues to improve, the demand for international travel has increased as well. However, limited flight bubbles to different countries have resulted in severely hiked airfares as well.

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Speaking to the media, an airline official stated that if the reopening dates were to be announced, airlines would be able to 'add more flights to the booking system'. Subsequently, with the increase in supply, the fares would inevitably drop.

The TOI reported that the UK has been one of the countries that have dropped the quarantine and COVID-test related requirements, which have led to an increase in the number of Indians, including international students, who have been waiting patiently for the past two years. Currently, as the situation stands, aspiring travellers are paying up to INR 1.20 lakhin the economy class to enter the UK, stated Anil Kalsi, Delhi-based travel agent.

First started on March 23, 2020, scheduled flights were expected to see a phased return startingDecember 15, 2021, however, the rise in Omicron variant across different countries halted the move.

Suggesting no further delay in resuming scheduled flights, an airline official commented that we should not lose this window now as had been witnessed earlier last year when the Delta variant first subsided.

Previously, India categorised different countries into different categories for a phased return to normalcy. Here, the countries were categorised between 100% of pre-Covid level to 50%, subject to the level of risk present in a country.

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However, this categorisation had been removed onFebruary 14, 2022 and was replaced with a list of countries and regions from where completely vaccinated travellers could arrive in India without the need for pre-departure testing along with dropping the requirement for home quarantine and day 8 testing after arrival.

With such travel relaxations quickly moving into place, it is only normal to expect a return of the scheduled flights.

Source: The Times of India