Scheduled International Flights To Resume From 27 March After 2-Year Hiatus

The two-year-long hiatus was induced due to the COVID-19 pandemic across the world.

Flights. Image used for representation only.

(Photo: iStock)

The government on Tuesday, 8 March, announced that scheduled international flight services will resume operations from 27 March after a two year suspension due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The announcement was made by Union Minister for Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia on Twitter.

"After deliberation with stakeholders & keeping in view the decline in the #COVID19 caseload, we have decided to resume international travel from Mar 27 onwards. Air Bubble arrangements will also stand revoked thereafter. With this step, I’m confident the sector will reach new heights," Scindia tweeted.

International flight services in the country were suspended on 23 March 2020 as part of the COVID-enforced lockdown.

Special international flights, however, were allowed to operate since July 2020 within the ambit of an air bubble agreement between India and around 35 other nations.

International flights were initially scheduled to begin from 15 December last year, but had to be postponed due to the global surge of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.

On 28 February this year, India's civil aviation regulator – the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) – had extended the ban on scheduled international commercial flights till "further orders".

(With inputs from PTI.)