India extends UK flight suspension till January 7

The suspension was to get over on Dec 31

Moneycontrol News

December 30, 2020 / 11:25 AM IST

People wearing face masks walk across the Millennium footbridge backdropped by the dome of St Paul's Cathedral in London, Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Starkly illustrating the global east-to-west spread of the new coronavirus, Italy began an extraordinary, sweeping nationwide travel ban on Tuesday while in China, the diminishing threat prompted the president to visit the epicenter and declare: ""We will certainly defeat this epidemic." (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)

The decision has been taken to extend the temporary suspension of flights to and from the United Kingdom till January 7, 2021, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said.

"Thereafter strictly regulated resumption will take place for which details will be announced shortly," he added, in a statement on social media platform Twitter, on December 30.

Flights to the country were suspended till December 31.

The announcement came a day after he had talked about "a slight extension" in the suspension of flights to the UK.

“We are applying our mind (on the issue of extending the temporary suspension beyond December 31). I foresee a slight extension in the temporary suspension but it will not be a long or indefinite (suspension),” Puri had said at a press conference.

The government of India had suspended all flights originating from the UK to India on December 21, effective from the 23rd. The restriction came, in view of the rising spread of a new coronavirus strain there.

Till now, 20 passengers from the UK have been detected with the new strain, upon being tested in India.

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