In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, international flight operations which had been halted are now resuming their services across the globe. Due to the continuous rise of coronavirus cases in India, the resumption operation for international flights will be expected to reinstate from next month.
In India, the aviation ministry has been planning to resume international flight operations, which had suspended for more than three months, in phases. To curb the spread of coronavirus, India extends the blanket ban on international flights till July 31. Several countries in Europe, the US and in the Middle East have opened international travel through bubble agreements.
The government’s decision to release visa restrictions for some groups of foreigners, and to allow green-card holders or OCIs and Indian nationals to retain a visa with a minimum residual validity of three months for the country they wish to return to, is seen as a positive step on the path to reopening international travel.
Airlines Participating in International Travel Resume Operations
While the threat posed by the coronavirus outbreak has yet to fully recede, the world is reopening and airlines are attempting to set off plans to resume operations of international flights. Several countries including Australia, New Zealand and South Korea have reinstated international flight operations.
Check out the list of international airlines who will resume operations:
1. Qatar Airways
The state-owned carrier of Qatar continues to lead the aviation industry’s global recovery, relaunching 11 more destinations since July 1, its largest single day of restarts, in what Qatar Airways has dubbed ‘Take-off Wednesday’. By mid-July, the airline’s network will extend to more than 430 weekly flights to over 65 destinations with additional flights to the next destination.
2. Emirates Airlines
The Dubai-based carrier recently confirmed it will fly to international destinations which include Frankfurt, Tokyo, Milan, Paris, Warsaw, Madrid, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne and Sydney. Many flights to other destinations will also resume this month as Dubai opens its doors from July 7 for tourists and visitors.
3. Turkish Airlines
From mid-June, this flight operator had resumed partial international operations and is now flying to Ankara and European countries such as London, Berlin and Amsterdam. The airline will fly into 40 countries in upcoming days.
4. United Airlines
United Airlines is boosting its international flights offering this summer. The airline resumes operations between San Francisco and Shanghai from July. As per the circular, the airline is about to add 25,000 flights coming August and operate twice in a week. Other destinations will be added next month as well.
5. Lufthansa
Lufthansa has also started to operate and to fly to mainland China at least once a week. The airline business will also fly three times from this week between Frankfurt and Boston and Los Angeles. 90 per cent of all short and medium-haul flights will resume operations from September and 70 per cent of long haul flights, the study said.
6. Delta Air Lines
This US-based airline started its operations with the first flight flying between the United States and China. The Seattle-Shanghai airway was opened on June 25. Other flights to Portugal, Greece, Lagos, Nigeria and Ghana were delayed until at least the next month.
However, a go-ahead has been given for many international flights operations. Along with it, each and every flight operator has implemented a list of precautionary measures as well as a mandatory certificate which informs the airlines whether the passenger is COVID-19 negative or not.
