Resuming international flights depends on other countries to be open to receive flights: Civil Aviation Minister

Union Civil Aviation Secretary Pradeep Singh Kharola on Saturday said that international flights may resume on a case to case basis. India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after a gap of two months amid the coronavirus pandemic. International passenger flights continue to remain suspended even now. No decision has been taken so far. 

"If international operations have to start, both ends have to be ready and there has to be traffic. There is a significant amount of traffic between India and North American continent. We may think of opening flights on a case to case basis," Kharola was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 

Meanwhile,



Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that the exact time for resuming international flights depends on other countries to be open to receive flights. "Any suggestion that international traffic has opened up and we are the only one not to open up needs reality check. The exact time when we will resume international flights depends on the other countries to be open to receive flights, he said. 

"...In the absence of a decision on resumption of international civil aviation which will depend on other countries opening up, we are left with no option but to continue what I call evacuation and repatriation flights under managed and controlled condition," the minister added.