India’s civil aviation regulator on Wednesday extended the ban on all international passenger flights till February 28 in view of the spiralling Covid-19 situation in various countries.

The extension of the ban is applicable to scheduled international commercial passenger flights and not to to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA such as special flights operated under air bubble agreements.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation in a circular issued Wednesday said, “In partial modification of circular dated 26-11-2021, the competent authority has decided to extend the suspension of Scheduled International commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs 1ST of 28th February, 2022. This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flight specifically approved by DGCA. However, flights under air bubble arrangement will not be affected”.

The ban on scheduled international commercial passenger flights was first imposed on March 23, 2020, in view of the Covid-19 situation and has been in place since. Later, as the situation improved the government signed bilateral air bubble agreements with several countries which allowed the movement of passengers by air from those countries.  

Transport Bubbles or ‘Air Travel Arrangements’ are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

India currently has air bubble agreements with 35 countries which include 

Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and Uzbekistan.