India will reopen for international scheduled flights from December 15, 2021, albeit with some capacity constraints for countries deemed to be unsafe due to COVID-19, according to a circular by its Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
India has been closed to regular international services since it first went into lockdown on March 23, 2020. The suspension was extended from time to time and remains in force until 2359L (1829Z) on December 14, 2021. However, the country has been open to a number of countries in terms of so-called air bubble arrangements.
With the re-opening, air bubble arrangements will be terminated and airline capacity entitlements will revert to those agreed under the terms of bilateral air service agreements, the DGCA said.
However, due to prevailing COVID-19 conditions, country capacity entitlements will depend on their “at-risk” rating from the Indian Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Full capacity entitlements as per bilateral air service agreements will be restored to carriers of countries that are not listed as unsafe by the healthy authority. Countries that are deemed risky, but with which India already has an existing air bubble, will regain 75% of pre-COVID-19 capacity or a minimum of seven frequencies per week subject to availability under bilateral agreements. Countries listed as “at-risk” and with which India has no existing air bubble will receive 50% of bilateral capacity entitlements or 50% of their pre-COVID operations, whichever is higher.
Until December 14, airlines will still be allowed to operate seats that have already been sold under an air bubble arrangement but which are in excess of bilateral capacity rights. However, seat entitlements will be restricted to bilateral rights from December 15, 2021.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, on November 28 published a list of countries from wher originating travellers would need to follow additional health protocols on arrival in India. These include unspecified countries in Europe as well as the United Kingdom (UK), South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Israel. Money Control, quoting sources in the know, reported the European countries on the list are France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Finland.
India established air bubbles with a number of countries, including Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, the Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK, United States (US), and Uzbekistan, according to the DGCA website.
Air India (AI, Mumbai Int'l), on social media, announced it was restarting international flights from Delhi Int'l and Mumbai Int'l to Singapore Changi; from Delhi and Kolkata Int'l to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi (Thailand); from Delhi to Melbourne Tullamarine (Australia), and adding flights to Hong Kong Int'l and Paris CDG (France). Vistara (UK, Delhi Int'l) also announced the resumption of services from Mumbai to Singapore from November 29.
