The suspension of scheduled international flights has been extended till March 31. The government took this decision due to the severity of the pandemic and barring the air bubble arrangement and the cargo flights, all others are suspended till March end.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) issued orders on Friday in this respect. The ban on the scheduled passenger flights was supposed to be lifted on February 28, but the increase in the pandemic and the new strain has forced the suspension.

It is to be noted that flights may be allowed on certain specific routes by the competent authority on case to case basis. International flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission and under the “air bubble” arrangement with select countries since July 2020.

International flights were suspended since March 2020 as the pandemic took its toll on the masses and suspending the flights was the only way to break the chain.