India to Resume 'Flight Services' to 2 more Countries - Details

India is set on operating international flights from today. The Civil Aviation Minister, Hardeep Singh Puri announced yesterday that bilateral air bubbles are to be worked out with France and US among the other countries.

What is Travel Bubble/ Air Bubble?
Travel bubbles, bilateral air bridges or air corridors are the way by which countries can exert control over the nations from where travellers arrive. These travellers will be allowed special concessions including no quarantine upon arrival. However, these depend upon the state of COVID infections in the countries and their dependence on one another.

"Till international civil aviation can reclaim its pre-COVID numbers, I think the answer lies in bilateral air bubbles which will carry a possible number of people but under defined conditions as countries are still imposing entry restrictions including India," the minister said at a news conference.

United Airlines will be flying 18 flights between India and the U.S. starting from July 17, until July 31.  Similarly, Air France will be operating 28 flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Paris. These flights are to start operating from July 18, until August 1.

"They (United) are flying a daily flight between Delhi and Newark and a thrice-a-week flight between Delhi and San Francisco," Mr Puri said. "We have got a request from Germans also. I think the arrangement with Lufthansa is almost done... We are processing that request," Puri added.

"Now we have many demands for air bubbles, but we need to be careful. We should permit that many only that we can handle," he said.