International passenger flights to stay banned till February 28

Mangalore Today News Network / NDTV

New Delhi, Jan 28, 2021:      The ban on international flight operations has been extended till February 28, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) informed on Thursday. "The restrictions shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA," the aviation regulator said in a circular.

 

The ban on international flights was announced in June last year to check the transmission of the coronavirus. Over the months, the centre, which is the highest executive authority in matters related to the pandemic, has eased restrictions in most of the fields of economy but not international flight operations.

"However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis," the regulator added.

The centre had allowed domestic flight operations last year.

"2,73,845 passengers on 2,179 flights yesterday is a new high since domestic flights resumed on 25 May 2020. This takes us even closer to the pre-COVID numbers. Flying has emerged as the chosen mode of transport which offers efficiency, safety and predictability," Union Minister Hardeep Puri tweeted earlier this month.

The centre has last year banned flights to and from the United Kingdom over the discovery of a more contagious strain of the virus. The ban was later revoked.

The centre today said it has curbed an increase in COVID-19 infections, with a fifth of its districts reporting no new cases for a week. "India has successfully contained the pandemic," Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said, noting that fewer than 12,000 cases were reported in the past 24 hours.

"India has flattened its COVID-19 graph," he added.