International Flights: India Lifts Ban on UK Flights From Jan 8, Passengers Must Follow These Rules On Their Arrival

"Resumption of flights between India & UK: India to UK from 6 Jan 2021. UK to India from 8 Jan 2021. 30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian & UK carriers," Puri said on Twitter.

International Flights Latest News: Taking preventive measures against the new coronavirus strain, the Central government on Monday made it mandatory for all international passengers to undergo self-paid RT-PCR Test on their arrival at the airports.

Earlier, the Centre had announced that the international flights with the UK will resume operations from January 8.  The development comes after the flight services between the two countries were suspended on December 22 in the wake of a more infectious coronavirus strain found in UK’s population. The new coronavirus strain has so far claimed over 38 travellers in India.

Issuing the safety guidelines, the Centre has said that those travelling between January 8 and 31, would be mandatorily subjected to self-paid RT-PCR tests on arrival at the Indian airports concerned.

“Adequate arrangements for passengers waiting for their RT-PCR test as well as test results duly following effective isolation may also be made at the airports in conjunction with the airport authorities,” the guidelines added.

As per the SOPs, the passengers will have to submit self-declaration form on the online portal, www.newdelhiairport.in, at least 72 hours before the travel and also carry negative RT-PCR test with them. Airlines are tasked with ensuring availability of negative test before allowing the passenger on board.

However, the passengers who test positive at the airport will be isolated in an institutional isolation facility in an isolation unit coordinated by the State Health Authorities. They would earmark specific facilities for such isolation and treatment and take necessary action to send the positive samples for genome sequencing.

But those who are found negative on testing with RT-PCR at the airport would be advised quarantine at home for 14 days and regularly followed up by the concerned State and District Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme.

Taking to Twitter, Union Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday said that flights from India to UK will resume from January 6, while services from that country to here would resume from January 8 onwards.

“Resumption of flights between India & UK: India to UK from 6 Jan 2021. UK to India from 8 Jan 2021. 30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian & UK carriers,” Puri said on Twitter.

“This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. Further frequency will be determined after review,” he added.

Earlier, Puri had announced on Friday that only 30 flights per week will operate between India and the UK when services resume from January 8 and that this arrangement will continue till January 23.

India had suspended all passenger flights connecting the two countries from December 23 to January 7 as a new variant of coronavirus emerged in the UK.