India establishes air travel bubbles with US, France
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New Delhi, July 17: In an initiative to further expand the international civil aviation operation, India completed negotiation for the Bilateral Air Bubbles with France and the US that will allow airlines from these countries to operate international flights, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in a press conference.
The Minister said, "Unless the international civil aviation space reclaims its pre-COVID space, Bilateral Air Bubbles will be the only way to resume international travel amid COVID-19 pandemic with a certain condition."
In an initiative to further expand our international civil aviation operations, air bubble arrangements with US, UAE, France & Germany are being put in place while similar arrangements are also being worked out with several other countries.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) July 16, 2020
Further, he asserted that Air France will operate 28 flights from 18th July to the 1st August between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Paris. Meanwhile, United States' Airlines is going to operate 18 flights to India between 17th to 31st July but this is an interim one. On the other hand, UAE has also agreed to allow operations of special repatriation flights between the two countries during 12-26 July.
The minister said that they have also received a request from Germany and an agreement with Lufthansa is almost done. "We have got a request from Germans also. I think the arrangement with Lufthansa is almost done. We are processing that request. Lufthansa will also be operating soon,” he said adding that India planned to establish a similar arrangement with the UK soon, and under that, two flights a day will operate between Delhi and London.
International flights have been suspended since March 23 as the Covid-19 pandemic spread across the world. Currently, the Centre has extended the suspension of international flights until July 31. However, domestic passenger flight services resumed in the country from May 25, two months after lockdown.
What is a bilateral air bubble?
A bilateral air bubble is when specific countries mutually decide to open the travel corridor between them, based on understanding and partnership. These arrangements are only possible if both countries either have successfully contained the virus or have shown promising results while combating with the Covid-19 pandemic within their border.