International Flight Alerts: New Guidelines to be announced on Feb 1

With the number of coronavirus cases dropping in India and across the world, barring only a few countries like the UK and South Africa, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is set to decide on a date to resume regular international flights. Scheduled international air travel has already been restricted till January 31 in view of the new COVID-19 strain. As of now, the government has only permitted international flights under Vande Bharat Mission on certain air bubbles.

The Civil Aviation ministry along with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs will hold a meeting this week to decide on the “further opening up of international air travel of passengers”. A new set of guidelines will come into effect on February 1.

“For further opening up of international air travel of passengers, the Ministry of Civil Aviation may take a decision in consultation with the Ministry of Home Affairs based on the assessment of the situation,” the government stated in its ‘Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution”. 

It also noted that the decision will take into consideration the “visible… steady decline in the number of active and new cases in the country” over the past four months.