New Delhi, March 8 (Agency) The government has decided to resume scheduled commercial flights from March 27, nearly two years after suspending the operation in the wake of Coronavirus pandemic. The decision has been taken after consultation with various stakeholders and in the light of widening vaccination coverage across the globe. The recent Omicron wave has also dissipated. “After having recognised the increased vaccination coverage across the globe and in consultation with the stakeholders, the Government of India has decided to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services to/from India from 27.03.2022, i.e. start of Summer Schedule 2022,” said the Civil Aviation Ministry in a press statement.
“The international operations shall be subject to strict adherence to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare guidelines for international travel dated 10.02.2022 and as amended from time to time,” the statement further said. Scheduled commercial passenger international flights had been suspended with effect from March 23, 2020 as the deadly Corona virus spread from country to country and soon became pandemic. Currently, international flights are being operated by airlines under air bubble agreement.Cargo flights on foreign routes have continued to operate without restrictions. Resuming international flights would not only promote tourism but also meet the huge pent-up demand. “People are dying to travel,” Subhash Goyal, founder Chairman of Delhi-based STIC Travel told UNI. He said that there are a lot of enquiries from tourists wanting to come to India and gave thumbs-up to the timing of opening up the skies. “This is the time when a lot of outbound tourism happens. There are also enquiries from inbound tourists. Traders, exporters, merchants, corporates all have been wanting to travel out,” Goyal said.