India extends ban on international flights until September 30

The suspension of scheduled international flights in and out of India has been extended until September 30, the country's Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced. It does not affect flights that resumed to the UAE from India earlier this month. The ban has been in place since March last year because of the pandemic. In early August, thousands of Indian residents rushed to book tickets to return to their homes in Dubai after the easing of travel rules, which were in place from April because of surging Covid-19 cases in India. About 300 flights a week were operating between the UAE and India before the suspension was announced. As per the latest announcement, international scheduled flights will still operate “on selected routes by the competent authority on a case-to-case basis”, the aviation authority said. Special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral “air bubble” arrangements with selected countries since July 2020.<br/>