India to UK flights Resumes from 6 January

The civil aviation ministry in India has decided to resume flights between India and the UK from 8 January. Flights from India to the UK can start on 6 January while operations from the UK to India will begin on 8 January, clarified The civil aviation minister, Hardeep Singh Puri. The schedule is valid till 23 January.

Till then 30 flights will be operated every week, including 15 each by Indian and UK carriers, added the minister.

In the wake of the new mutant strain of Coronavirus, which is believed to be more contagious, India put a bar on flight operations between the two countries on 21 December, which became effective from 23 December.

Initially, the ban was till 31 December but was later extended to 7 January.

70 flights per week have been operated after India resumed regular flights to the UK under its air bubble agreement. The number has been brought down to 30 and will be revised only after 23 January.

So far, 29 people in India have tested positive for the new strain of the virus.

As the flight operations are being resumed, the health ministry has drawn up a detailed guideline on how international passengers will be checked. All passengers will have to submit a self-declaration form on the online portal www.newdelhiairport.in at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel. Carrying a negative RT-PCR test report is a must, a copy of which is to be uploaded on the portal.