International flight operations expected to return to normal soon, says Aviation Ministry official

The government is looking to increase flights to Dubai, Singapore, France, the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Australia in the next few weeks, officials had said.

Regular international flight operations suspended since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in March last year, is expected to return to normal soon, Civil Aviation Ministry secretary Rajiv Bansal was reported as saying on November 24.

Bansal's statement comes around a month after domestic flight operators in the country were allowed to operate at their pre-pandemic capacities.

The top Aviation Ministry official, while speaking to news agency ANI, said, "International flight operations expected to return to normal soon."

Earlier this month, Moneycontrol had learnt from senior officials that the Indian government is in talks with both domestic and international airlines, as well as other countries to increase flights, under the air bubble agreements, in order to meet the rising demand from international passengers.

Under an air bubble arrangement between two countries, international passenger flights can be operated by their respective carriers to each other's territories, subject to certain conditions.

The government is looking to increase flights to Dubai, Singapore, France, the UK, the US, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Germany and Australia in the next few weeks, officials had said.

“There are constant discussions between the high commission of every country, and, wherever required, we are looking to increase flights under the air bubble agreements,” an official claimed, adding that it usually takes the government a week to review and allocate flights under the agreement.

Handover of Air India operations by Dec-end

Bansal, while speaking to ANI today, also noted that efforts are being undertaken to hand over all the operations of national carrier Air India by December-end to Tata group, which had won the bid to take over the debt-ridden airline on October 9.

"We are making all efforts to handover all operations of Air India by the end of December," the Aviation Ministry secretary was quoted as saying.