Friday, March 27, 2020

India Extends International Flight Ban Until Mid-April

Yesterday, the Indian government announced it would be extending its ban on international flights in and out of the country. The ban was originally set to be lifted on 31 March but has now been extended until 14 April as the number of coronavirus cases in India continues to rise.

On Wednesday, India began its 21-day lockdown, following numerous other countries into a state of temporary stasis. The country has already temporarily canceled visas for almost all foreign citizens and has had a ban on international flights in place since last Sunday. A ban on domestic flights followed shortly after, coming into effect on Tuesday.

The ban on international flights, which was introduced last Sunday, was originally only supposed to last for a week. However, India has seen a significant uptick in confirmed cases of COVID-19 since then, with the nationwide total more than doubling from 396 to 863 cases. Additionally, now that the full lockdown has been put into place, demand for flights, especially international ones, is a fraction of its normal level.

Although the ban will apply to virtually all passenger flights, India’s civil aviation ministry says that a few exceptions will be made. Firstly, cargo flights, which are particularly important at times like these, will still be permitted to run as normal. Secondly, flights that have been specifically approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation will also be permitted. This will likely include repatriation flights for citizens of other countries who are currently stuck in India.
27/03/20 Henry Bewicke/Simple Flying
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