After New COVID19 Variant, India Releases a List of At Risk Countries

On Friday, the Civil Aviation Ministry said that scheduled international flights to and from India will be resumed from December 15 after 20 months of coronavirus-induced suspension.

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, said the Health Ministry on Friday.

But 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, as clarified by the Aviation Ministry.

The decision of India to resume scheduled international passenger flights and provide the booking of flight tickets online has been announced at the time when numerous countries like Britain, Singapore, Germany, Israel, Italy, and France have restricted air travel from South Africa due to the discovery of a new coronavirus variant that has caused serious health implications.

On Thursday, the Centre has asked all the states and union territories to conduct a stringent screening and testing of every international traveler coming from or transiting through South Africa, Hong Kong, and Botswana as the new coronavirus variant has been detected there.

On Friday, the Centre announced its decision that the airlines will be allowed to operate at 50 percent of their scheduled passenger flights between India and South Africa, Hong Kong, and Botswana pre- COVID19. This change is to take place from December 15th, 2021.

Since the three countries South Africa, Hong Kong, and Botswana are classified in the at-risk category by the Health Ministry, India does not have an air bubble arrangement that allows special passenger flights between the two countries during the COVID- 19 related restrictions. Hence, booking an air ticket online for traveling could become problematic.

The Aviation Ministry wrote a letter to aviation regulator DGCA on Friday, stating that if a country has been identified in the at-risk category and does not have an air bubble with India, then a maximum of 50 percent of bilateral capacity entitlements or 50 percent of pre- COVID operations of Indian or foreign carrier, whichever is higher, will be permitted. agreement with India, then a maximum of 50 percent of bilateral capacity entitlements or 50 percent of pre- COVID operations of Indian or foreign carriers, whichever is higher, will be permitted.

If a country has been identified to be at risk of COVID- 19 but has an air bubble agreement with India, then 75 percent of pre- COVID scheduled international flight operations of Indian or foreign carriers, whichever is higher, or a minimum of seven frequencies per week subject to availability of entitlements under bilateral agreements will be permitted, as announced by the Aviation Ministry.

The Aviation Ministry also noted that the countries which are not in the at-risk category will be getting full capacity entitlements according to the bilateral air service agreements. So international travelers can now book cheap flights to India easily with Flyopedia and avail of great offers tailored to their needs.

India has air bubbles with Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Ukraine, the UAE, the UK, the USA, and Uzbekistan.

The matter of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India has been examined in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and it has been decided that scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India may be resumed from December 15, 2021, said the Aviation Ministry.

They further added that “the seats under air bubble arrangement which have already been sold by airlines, which are more than the capacity entitlements under bilateral air service agreements available with the airlines, will be allowed to be operated till December 14, 2021.” “Such airlines will restrict their operations to capacity entitlements enter bilateral air service agreements available with airlines with effect from December 15, 2021.”

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued a formal notification about the resuming of scheduled international passenger flights after they received the Aviation Ministry’s letter. For further news, subscribe to our newsletters for FREE. They are delivered straight to your email inbox and you get to know about the latest travel updates.

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