India Negotiating Air Bubbles With 3 Countries; Air France To Operate 28 Flights From July 18

New Delhi: International flights from India are set to resume this weekend with the government at a very advanced stage of negotiating air bubbles with France, Germany and the USA.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri told ANI that Air France will take off first, and will operate 28 flights between India and France from Saturday (July 18) till August 1.

The flights will originate from New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, with Paris being the common destination.

With the COVID-19 pandemic far from being under control, the government feels the only way to resume international travel is to create air bubbles between different countries.

“I think the answer lies through bilateral air bubbles which will carry a possible number of people under defined conditions till the time international civil aviation reclaims its pre-COVID numbers,” Puri said, adding that countries are still imposing entry restrictions including the Indian government.

The Indian government recently negotiated an air bubble with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to facilitate the return of thousands of Indian workers who wanted to head back to the UAE to rejoin their jobs and businesses.