The Centre and the state government are discussing which agency should be responsible for ensuring evacuees from international destinations have booked quarantine facilities in Calcutta before boarding their flights, officials said on Tuesday.

The civil aviation ministry has permitted three foreign airlines — Emirates, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia — to operate evacuation flights to Calcutta. Such flights to the city are now suspended.

The state government has informed the city airport that domestic flights to and from six cities that are now suspended will be allowed to operate from July 20, sources said. The cities — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad and Nagpur — have a high Covid prevalence.

“Talks are on with the Bengal government about the standard operating protocol. We are expecting the evacuation flights to resume operations to Calcutta within a few days,” an official of the civil aviation ministry said on Tuesday.

“It is being discussed which agency should take the responsibility to ensure that all passengers have booked quarantine facilities in Calcutta before boarding evacuation flights from an international destination. It can be the Indian embassy in that country or the airline concerned. Also, if we frame a rule, it has to be implemented in all states,” the official said.

Ministry officials said the three foreign airlines — Emirates, Etihad Airways and Air Arabia — have received approval from the directorate general of civil aviation to operate 27 evacuation flights from July 12 till the end of the month from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah to Calcutta.

Air India, too, will run several evacuation flights as part of the Vande Bharat mission.