A “special arrangement” aerial connection could come up between India and the USA, Germany and France, probably within a week. Airlines of both sides of the nations will be allowed to carry passengers in and out of India, who are eligible under the home ministry rule with the help of flights.
It is probably learnt that the words with the USA, Germany and France are at a very advanced stage and announcements would be done within the upcoming week. Besides that, India is also in discussion with the UAE to simplify the travel of people from here.
India had recently talked of creating travel passageway with USA, UK, France and Germany to facilitate travel during the widespread disease and till everything is back to normal which means till the schedule flights are resumed. With the opening, arrangements are being to start permitted flights which will allow eligible people to travel both ways.
For the temporary purpose airlines like Air France, Lufthansa, and United are allowed to start repatriation flights especially to take the appropriate people out of India to their respective countries. But as per the MHA travel eligibility order in the special arrangement, people will be able to travel to or from India on airlines of India and Germany, France and USA.
For instance, Lufthansa, one of the largest German airline says “as per the approval given by the Director-General of Civil Aviation, only the following persons would be allowed to travel on the special arrangement repatriation fights:
All German and EU nationals/residents.
All other international people travelling through a Lufthansa hub
Indian people who are holding Canadian permanent residence status or US green cards are only allowed on this specially arranged flight if the person is a spouse of the USA or Canadian national.”
The Ministry of Home Affairs currently will permit only specific categories of foreign nationals, including overseas citizens of India (OCI) cardholders, to enter India. These consists of
Foreign nationals who are married to the citizen of India.
OCI cardholders who need to come here due to family emergencies.
The foreign national student with one parent being a cardholder of an overseas citizen of India (OCI) or an Indian citizen.
Minor children who have OCI cards and whose father or mother are citizens of India.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs directives, once this arrangement is made with other countries, their airlines will also reciprocally carry people in and out of India through flights. It is expected that the announcements to the effect with some countries could start coming this week itself.
Scheduled international passenger flights were cancelled on March 22 and are not allowed at least till the end of the month except on certain routes that the government may specifically allow.
Air India has been started repatriation flights under Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) from 6th of May, mainly to bring back Indian people stuck abroad and has flown back thousands of people so far.
Air India had been flying people on VBM flights out of India to certain nations like the US, Germany, UK and France who were allowing incoming traffic.
Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) is now on the world’s largest repatriation exercise with Indian privately owned airlines also take part.
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