Announcing the resumption of international commercial flights, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on 16^th July said India had established individual bilateral bubbles with France and the US that would allow airlines of these countries to operate flights. Puri said air bridges or air bubbles would be the way to resume international air travel amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Till international civil aviation can reclaim its pre-COVID numbers, I think the answer will lie through bilateral air bubbles which will carry a possible number of people but under defined conditions as countries are still imposing entry restrictions including India,” he said.

The concept of air bridges is based on reciprocity with the said countries allowing Indian citizens to fly into their borders and India allowing their citizens to fly into its borders.

Addressing a press conference, Puri said Air France would be operating 28 flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Paris from July 18 to August 1 while American carrier United Airlines would be flying 18 flights between India and the US from July 17 to July 31.

“They (United) are flying a daily flight between Delhi and Newark and a thrice-a-week flight between Delhi and San Francisco,” Puri said.

The minister further said India was planning to establish a bubble with the UK soon, under which there would be two flights per day between Delhi and London. “We have request from German carriers to permit flights to India and we are processing it,” he said.

From India, Air India will be operating flights to France and the US under these bubbles. Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.