A day after the civil aviation ministry decided to resume flights between India and UK from January 8, civil aviation minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday offered more justification and said flights from India to the UK can start on January 6, while operations from the UK to India will begin on January 8.
“Resumption of flights between India & UK: India to the UK from 6 Jan 2021. The UK to India from 8 Jan 2021. 30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian & UK carriers. This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. The further frequency will be determined after review,” Puri tweeted.
Resumption of flights between India & UK:
India to UK from 6 Jan 2021.
UK to India from 8 Jan 2021.
30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian & UK carriers.This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. Further frequency will be determined after review.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 2, 2021
Amid of the new mutant strain of Coronavirus, which is believed to be more transmittable, India put a restriction on flight operations between the two countries on December 21, which became effective from December 23.
Initially, the ban was till New Year’s Eve , but was later extended to January 7. On Friday, the civil aviation ministry announced that the restrictions that are going to be partially lifted ranging from January 8, with only a limited number of flights.
Earlier, he had said there will be a short extension of temporary suspension of flights between the United Kingdom and India. There was already a ban on the operation of flights between the 2 countries till New Year’s Eve , 2020. This extended suspension will now relax on January 6 and 8.
The suspension of flights was announced after the United Kingdom reported the spread of a new strain of COVID-19 in their country. Some of the passengers who had returned from the United Kingdom to India were also found infected with the new strain of COVID-19.
The Civil Aviation Ministry is also monitoring developments in other countries and will take further decisions accordingly.
After India resumed regular flights to the United Kingdom under its bubble agreement, 70 flights per week are operated. The number has been brought down to 30 and can be revised only after January 23.
So far, 29 people in India have tested positive for the new strain of virus.
As the flight operations are being resumed, the health ministry has involved an in depth guideline on how international passengers are going to be checked. All passengers will have to submit a self-declaration form on the online portal www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel. Carrying a negative RT-PCR test report is must, a copy of which is to be uploaded on the portal.