India had initially built travel bubbles in 2020 with countries such as the United States, Germany and France. Since then, India has concluded agreements with a total of 27 countries. Here`s the list: Under an air bubble agreement between the two countries, airlines from both countries can operate special flights between their territories with certain restrictions. In July, India had initially built travel bubbles with the United States, Germany and France. Since then, India has signed agreements with 10 other countries – Britain, Canada, Maldives, united Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Nigeria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Japan. ”Transport bubbles” or ”air travel arrangements” are temporary agreements between two countries to resume commercial passenger services when scheduled international flights are suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are reciprocal in nature, which means that airlines in both countries enjoy similar benefits. The details of these agreements as of 18.11.2020 are as follows: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, international scheduled flights to India have been suspended since March 23 of last year. However, since July last year, special passenger flights have been operated under air bubble agreements with 31 countries. The Ministry of Aviation said that if a country has been identified as ”vulnerable” to COVID-19 but has an air bubble agreement with India, then ”75% of the Indian or foreign airline`s pre-COVID planned international flight operations, whichever is higher, or at least seven frequencies per week will be allowed subject to the availability of claims under bilateral agreements.” The first air transport bubble was implemented by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Even after so many months of epidemic, the total number of cases in these countries is lower than in other countries. Countries with the fewest cases decided to launch flights between themselves to improve their economies, which had collapsed during the pandemic.

Such an agreement will also allow the members of the group to revive trade relations with each other and boost sectors such as travel and tourism. The Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia were the first to create an air bubble that allowed free travel between them while limiting foreigners. India created an air bubble with the State of Qatar during the pandemic. Indian airlines and Qatar Airways are allowed to operate their flights between India and Qatar with the aim of resuming commercial passenger traffic, while scheduled international flights are suspended due to the coronavirus. The air bubble agreement between the two countries entered into force on August 18, 2020. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation of India issued a corresponding order on August 15, 2020, the ministry also said that India was discussing a bilateral air bubble with Kuwait. New Delhi has already concluded bilateral agreements with countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Germany and France to operate flights. ”The resumption of international commercial passenger traffic would mean a return to bilaterally agreed capacity claims and the termination of air bubble agreements,” he said. ”Omicron is certainly a setback because every country in the world must be safe and secure. This is our top priority, and that is why different countries have set different standards. I think the benchmark set by our administration by marking 11 countries as `vulnerable` and testing them fully is the way forward,” Scindia told Congressmanish Tewari. After these countries began their work, many other countries began to enter into such agreements with each other after analyzing each other`s capabilities to contain the virus.

Many countries are using these international air bubbles to revive their economies. Some examples of this are Thailand, Hong Kong, China-South Korea, Thailand-Hong Kong and many others. ”We have 10 proposals pending for the air bubble agreement. We have forwarded the proposals to these countries. Saudi Arabia is one of them. We are waiting for their news,” Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in response to a question from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP AND Mohammed Basheer in the Lok Sabha. All airlines are allowed to sell tickets between India and the respective countries in any direction through their websites, sales agents and global distribution systems. Although India has extended its embargo on international flights until September 30, ”air bubbles” or ”air bridges” have become the only way in which international commercial travel has resumed since mid-July.

Since then, the number of air bubbles in India has risen to 13, with Japan being the youngest country to make the list. 1. Afghanistan: India has built an air traffic bubble with Afghanistan. Indian Airlines and Ariana Afghan Airlines are now allowed to operate flights between India and Afghanistan and carry the following categories of people on these flights: Under the rules of the Indian travel bubble, Qatar Airways cannot carry passengers beyond Doha. The only deviations are made for flight routes to Africa and South America, as these are underserved markets from India. India has been able to sign air bubble agreements with 28 countries, but so far India has managed to resume international flights under the air bubble agreement with only 18 countries. These countries are the United States, Great Britain, Bhutan, Ukraine, Japan, Qatar, Germany, Kenya, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Canada, Oman, France, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bahrain and the Maldives. Since May last year, special international flights have been operated via the government`s flagship, the Vande Bharat Mission. Since July 2020, there are also some regulations regarding air transport. ”Transport bubbles” or ”air travel arrangements” are temporary arrangements between two countries to resume commercial passenger traffic when scheduled international flights are suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government says these pacts are mutual in nature, meaning that airlines in both countries enjoy similar benefits. ”We started testing all arrivals from yesterday (Wednesday).

Passengers must undergo a seven-day home quarantine and then be tested on the eighth day. They are monitored for an additional seven days and can then move freely. We are fully prepared and ready for the war against the virus,” Scindia said. 11. United Arab Emirates (UAE): India has concluded an air bubble agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This bubble is valid until 31.10.2020. Indian and Emirati airlines are now allowed to operate flights between India and the UAE and carry the following categories of people on those flights: Read also | India discussed air bubble with Saudi Arabia: government In its letter to aviation authority DGCA on Friday, the Ministry of Aviation said that if a country has been identified in the ”vulnerable” category and does not have an air bubble agreement with India, then a maximum of ”50% of bilateral capacity claims or 50% of pre-COVID operations of Indian or foreign airlines, whichever is higher”. will be allowed. It should be noted that AIR India announced earlier this year that it would operate additional flights between Delhi and Hong Kong on February 7-8, 2021.

Remarkably, these air services were carried out as part of Phase 9 of the Vande Bharat mission. ”Significant progress in access to aviation between India and Kuwait,” the ministry tweeted. ”The Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Chairman of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation-Kuwait have had useful and productive discussions on various issues related to bilateral access between our two countries, which will soon be resolved.” If a country wishes to operate scheduled passenger flights to another country, a bilateral air transport agreement must be negotiated to decide on the number of airlines, ports of entry and the total number of flights (or seats) that can be authorized each week between the two. International flights Latest news today: As part of the air bubble deal, India`s national airline Air India announced on Tuesday that it will operate additional flights between Delhi and Hong Kong as part of the Vande Bharat mission. It should be noted that flights will enter service from 2 January 2022. Read also – International flights: Lufthansa resumes flights from India to Switzerland From January 10, | Countries that are not in the ”vulnerable” category receive ”full capacity claims under bilateral air transport agreements,” the Aviation Ministry noted. Minister of State for Civil Aviation (Gen) VK Singh said that 7,900 national aviation workers lost their jobs in one year between March 31, 2020 and March 31, 2021 due to Covid-19. About 13,300 groundhandling workers also lost their jobs during the same period, but an additional 380 employees were hired in the freight sector, Singh said, while responding to Biju MP Janta Dal (BJD) Bhartruhari Mahtab in the Lok Sabha. The Aviation Ministry said on Friday: ”Seats under air bubble agreement, which have already been sold by airlines that are more than capacity claims under bilateral air services agreements with airlines, can be operated until December 14, 2021.” ”These airlines will limit their operations to capacity claims and enter into bilateral air services agreements with airlines as of December 15, 2021,” she added.

As the ban on international flights continues to be extended due to COVID-19, the validity of the air bubble agreement is also extended. .