Scheduled international flights to and from India will resume on December 15 after a gap of around 20 months.
The resumption of flights will be based on the coronavirus risk levels of individual countries, according to a government order.
The aviation ministry’s order has divided countries into three groups on the basis of the Union health ministry’s Covid analysis.
Countries not at risk: Flights in line with bilateral air service agreements or the pre-Covid schedule.
This group includes the US and Canada.
Countries at risk but with which India has an air bubble agreement: Flights to be kept at 75 per cent of pre-Covid times.
Countries at risk and with which India does not have an air bubble: 50 per cent of pre-Covid times.
As of now, the health ministry’s list of countries at risk include those in Europe — including the UK — South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Singapore.
India has air bubbles with several of these countries like those in the EU, the UK and Mauritius.
The UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Finland, South Africa, Brazil, Bangladesh, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe and Singapore are the 14 countries that are high-risk either because of a resurgent Covid wave or the number of active cases.
