New Delhi: Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the ban on international flights till July 31 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The DGCA said that the ban on international commercial passenger flights will remain in force till July 31, 2021.
However, these restrictions will not apply to international cargo flights that have been permitted by the DGCA.
It has also been said in the order that international flights may be allowed on the routes chosen by the competent authority.
International passenger flights were first banned in March 2020 due to the Corona pandemic.
Domestic flights resumed in May 2020 but international travel remained restricted as Covid cases continued to be found in large numbers in different parts of the world.
DGCA has extended the ban on international flights several times from March 2020.
Last year, the Government of India started the Vande Bharat Mission to bring back Indians stranded in different countries of the world due to COVID.
International travel has almost come to a halt across the world due to the new variants of COVID.
It is to be known that the Indian aviation industry is still recovering from the losses caused by the nationwide lockdown in the last year.
The second wave of the pandemic hit the country in April, leading to a drop in air traffic across the country, especially when flights to India were banned by other countries.
Recently, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had said that all airport operators must ensure that people are wearing masks properly at the airport and during travel.
Along with this, safe physical distance will also have to be maintained in the airport premises. The DGCA also directed the airlines to conduct a surprise check.
If airlines are unable to ensure that the rules are followed inside the aircraft, they can also be fined.
Also, if a person does not obey despite repeated warnings, he will be treated as an 'unruly traveller'.

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