International flight services to normalise soon

New Delhi: International flight operations are expected to return to normalcy by the end of this year, the Civil Aviation Secretary was quoted as saying. Commercial international flights have been suspended in the country since March last year owing to the coronavirus pandemic.

The suspension was extended till November 30, exempting dedicated cargo flights and commercial flights that fall under air-bubble arrangements with the destination countries.

India has entered into an air bubble pact with over 31 countries including Afghanistan, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, the Maldives, the UAE, the UK and the United States, among others.

Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal on Wednesday said that international flight services are expected to be normalised "very soon" and "by the end of this year". He added that the ministry is making all efforts to handover all operations of Air India by the end of December, according to ANI. In October, Tata Sons had bought Air India, taking over 100 per cent of the government's stake in the national carrier.

Civil aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia last week, too, had said that the government is evaluating the process for normalising international flight operations, emphasising that it wants to return to normalcy while keeping in mind the pandemic situation in certain parts of the world.