The international flight operations will resume soon as there is huge demand for travel to and from India, said Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
The minister also said that it depends on the foreign countries whether they are open to incoming flights from India or not. So we can assume that India is resuming international flights sooner.
“A decision to resume regular international operations will be taken as soon as countries ease restrictions on entry of foreign nationals. Destination countries have to be ready to allow incoming flights,” Puri Twitted on Sunday.
He also added, “Most countries have less than 10 per cent international operations because they are allowing entry only to their own citizens & have placed restrictions on foreign nationals.”
Apart from AI’s VBM flights, about a lakh people have flown out of India and 38,000 to the country on 640 charter flights since schedule services were suspended on March 22. More charter flights will be allowed in coming days to enable people to travel, the minister assured.
“We have let outbound passengers on VBM flights to fly to countries which allow them entry. More than 13,500 people have flown out of India. Air India has sold another 22,000 tickets for flights to US and Canada (on June 5 and 6). Bookings for Europe and other places will open soon. Potentially these many eligible people will return to India as well. We are adding more flights to VBM.”
For now, Air India on Sunday said Indian citizens and Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holders can travel from USA and Canada to India on VBM flights on and after Thursday (June 11).
“Indian citizens and OCI card holders who wish to travel on evacuation flights operated under Vande Bharat Mission to India from USA and Canada may book tickets through Air India Website only for flights departing from USA and Canada on / after June 11, 2020. .. applicants should be registered with the local embassy/ high commission. Tickets on the Air India website will be available effective from 8 pm (IST) on June 8 which is equivalent to New York and Toronto (EDT 10.30 am of June 8), Chicago (CDT 9.30 am) and San Francisco (PDT 7.30 am),” AI Tweeted Sunday.
Currently, Air India is offering 75 additional flights to North American destinations like New York, Newark, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto this month and foreign nationals can fly out on them. AI officials say more flights are being added.
(Source: Times of India)
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