Govt Extends Ban On All International Commercial Flights To & From India Till Feb 28; Know All About It

The ban on international flights was implemented last year to contain coronavirus spread in the country.

Representative Photo: AFP

New Delhi: The ban on international flight operations has been extended till February 28, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced on Thursday. 

The ban on international flights was implemented last year to contain coronavirus spread in the country. "The restrictions shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA," Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) stated in a circular. 

"However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," the regulator added.

The centre had allowed domestic flight operations last year but restrictions have been imposed on international flights. Recently, there was a temporary ban on flights to and from the UK in the wake of the new "superspreader" strain detected there.

Aviation Ministry, meanwhile, is getting closer to the scale of the domestic flight operations as they were before the Coronavirus pandemic put everything to a halt.

"2,73,845 passengers on 2,179 flights yesterday is a new high since domestic flights resumed on 25 May 2020. This takes us even closer to the pre-Covid numbers. Flying has emerged as the chosen mode of transport which offers efficiency, safety and predictability," Union Minister Hardeep Puri tweeted earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Railway Board has permitted Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation to resume e-catering services at a selected number of stations as revealed by IRCTC. The catering service had been stopped fearing Coronavirus spread.