India set to resume regular international air travel on Feb.1

India set to resume regular international air travel on Feb.1

An IndiGo plane takes off from Mumbai airport. File



India may permit regular international air travel as part of a fresh package of relaxations in containment measures against the spread of coronavirus that were announced on Wednesday.

"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's new "Guidelines for Surveillance, Containment and Caution," which will go into effect on Feb.1 said.

India suspended all incoming and outgoing international flights as well as domestic air travel in the last week of March 2020 as part of a lockdown to combat COVID-19. Flights to and from India have since been resumed in a phased manner with about two-dozen countries under "air bubbles."

Meanwhile, India has fully opened up domestic air services.

Air bubbles