Chennai: The Centre on Wednesday extended the suspension of international flights till 31 January, 2021, in view of the ongoing Covid-19 situation.
Earlier in the day, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri announced that the temporary suspension of flights between India and the United Kingdom has been extended till 7 January, 2021.
The decision is part of the Centre’s attempts to contain the spread of a mutant strain of the Coronavirus, that is said to be a super-spreader.
The restriction till 31 January shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation), an official statement said on Wednesday.
“However, international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a case to case basis,” it added.
At present, India has entered into ‘Air Bubble’ agreements with several countries.
This type of arrangement allows nationals of both the countries to travel in either direction.
Passenger air services were suspended on 25 March due to the nationwide lockdown to check the spread of Covid-19.
Domestic flight services, however, resumed from 25 May.