India slowly resuming global flights with air bubble deals

India has cautiously opened up limited air travel with a clutch of countries including the US and United Arab Emirates (UAE). United last Friday started operating 18 flights from Newark and San Francisco to Delhi, following an air bubble agreement. The flights, till the end of the month, follow an accusation by Washington that Delhi was unfairly operating paid flights under its repatriation programme amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Air India, which has conducted the repatriation flights, will now be allowed to operate separate commercial flights based on demand, with schedules that have yet to be finalised. Similar agreements have been worked out with the UAE, France and Germany, while negotiations with Britain are in the final stages. Flights to the UAE began on July 12. Air France last Saturday started 28 flights to Delhi/Mumbai and Bengaluru. These will run till Aug 1, said the civil aviation ministry. "Until international civil aviation can reclaim its pre-Covid-19 situation in terms of numbers, the answer will lie in bilateral air bubble agreements which will carry as many people as possible under defined conditions," Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri told a press conference last Thursday. He said that apart from a valid visa, passengers would require additional government approval to travel under these agreements and that the arrangements would be reviewed at the end of two weeks. "Because many countries are still imposing entry restrictions, as are we, it's not that anyone can travel from anywhere to anywhere. You need permission. These are in the initial experimental stage. We are operating under strict standard operating procedures."<br/>