Covid-19: Even as the cases of the new highly infectious strain of the Covid-19 variant continue to rise, the government is reopening India to UK flights which were closed in the last week of December.

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The decision of banning the flights was taken keeping in view the concerns over the 'highly infectious' new Covid-19 strain first spotted in the United Kingdom.

As the flights will resume, two Air India carriers, one from Delhi and one from Mumbai, will fly for London on 6 January.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday said that the government has allowed limited resumption of civil aviation with the United Kingdom.

"We took a decision on limited resumption of civil aviation traffic between India and the United Kingdom based on an assessment of available facts as available with our medical professionals. We decided that RT-PCR test which was done 72 hours ahead of travelling was not enough," he was quoted as saying by news agency  ANI.


"So, we made it compulsory to test again on arrival. We will review the situation if any steps have to be taken. So far it is the limited resumption of civil aviation with the UK. The total number of flights to UK has been reduced from 60 a week to 30," he added.

"If the situation demands that we need to take more steps, we are constantly reviewing the situation," the minister added.

Flights to India from UK to begin from January 8:

As per Puri, the flights from UK to India will resume from 8 January 2021. Till January 23, 30 flights will operate every week.

"Resumption of flights between India and UK: India to UK from 6 Jan 2021. UK to India from 8 Jan 2021. 30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian and UK carriers. This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. Further frequency will be determined after review," he tweeted.