India extends international flight ban till end of September

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) – India on Sunday extended the suspension of all scheduled international passenger flights till the end of September over the coronavirus pandemic.

As per a new order issued by Directorate General of Civil Aviation, "the competent authority has further extended the validity of circular issued on the subject … regarding scheduled international commercial passenger services to/from India till 2359 hrs 1ST of 30 September, 2021.”

The order added that “this restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by Directorate General of Civil Aviation.”

It also said that “… international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on case to case basis.”

International passenger services in India have been suspended since March 2020.

Currently, flights on various international routes are being operated under air bubble agreements.

On Sunday morning, the Health Ministry announced that 45,083 new cases and 460 deaths were registered in India over the past 24 hours.

The nationwide caseload currently stands around 32.69 million and fatalities at 437,830.

India’s cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 630 million doses, while the recovery stands at 97.53%, according to the official figures.