(Image source from: indianexpress.com)

With India entering the first phase of Unlock-1, the country is likely in the talks to resume its international flights soon. The Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed in a press conference on Monday that India is going to take a decision on resumption of international flights soon.

He further reported that India is only going to resume the international flights only after the other foreign countries start easing their restrictions and allow incoming flights.

“A decision to resume regular international operations will be taken as soon as countries ease restrictions on entry of foreign nationals. Destination countries have to be ready to allow incoming flights,” Puri said in a tweet.

Puri further took to his Twitter to inform the citizens who are desperate to travel internationally because of personal and professional reasons. He said that he has been looking into all the possibilities around but globally, the things are far from normal.

The minister, upon research, found that majority of the countries outside India are allowing 10% of the international flight movement as they are allowing entry of their citizens only who are coming back because of the repatriation.

Many of the countries are allowing inbound flights but have also placed restrictions on the individuals, putting them in isolation.

“We have let outbound passengers on VBM flights to fly to countries which allow them entry. More than 13500 people have flown out of India,” said Puri.

Not just that, he further reported that Air India has already sold over 22,000 tickets under the Vande Bharat Mission for US and Canada in the month of June. The bookings for Europe and the rest of the world is also going to be happening soon.

There are going to be more people who are going to come back to India under the VBM who have appealed to be repatriated from the countries that they have been stranded in.

Another 100,000 passengers have flown out of India while 38,000 Indians have come to India under this mission. The same has been done with the help of over 640 chartered flights. More flights are being added to the same as well.

Air India also clarified in a tweet saying that the stranded Indians and the OCI card holders who wish to come back to India in the evacuation flights need to get their tickets on their official website. This currently eligible for US and Canada. The same is on and from June 11. The individuals also must be registered with the local embassy or the high commission to be flown out to India.

By Somapika Dutta