Since international flight restrictions are gradually being lifted in India, Chennai is prepping to resume international flights soon. Read on for more details. By Kumar Shree
Even though any confirmed decision regarding the same has not come out yet, many reports suggest that the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) officials and the Airport Authority of India (AAI) are considering to take this step. If so happens, the Chennai Airport could soon operate a few international flights to nearby destinations.
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The Chennai airport is also under consideration for being nominated as one of the gateway airports for flights operating under the ‘air bubble’ concept.
As reported by The Times of India, an official of the Chennai airport said, “Till now the thinking was not to have international flights till domestic passenger movement picked up considerably closer to the numbers handled in the pre-shutdown days. However, the numbers are not increasing as expected because people continue to travel only for emergencies. Quarantine restrictions in major cities are the reason.”
The new Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) released by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) aim to promote more international flights by making the rules and procedures easier. These SOPs will allow international travellers to skip institutional quarantine upon presenting a valid COVID-19 negative certificate. This move, however, is yet to receive a nod from the state government.
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The airlines, on the other hand, are also requesting the resumption of international flights. Most of the initial flights will operate to the Middle East or Southeast Asian regions.
As reported by the Times of India, Basheer Ahmed of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) said, “There should be scheduled flights. Chennai-London, Chennai-Dubai’Abu Dhabi are popular routes. These airports are transit hubs. People who want to travel to countries that are open for visitors can use the scheduled flights to transit via hubs. But only point-to-point travellers are allowed now. This means a passenger can buy tickets from Chennai to Dubai and not beyond.”
Related: When Will International Flights Resume Completely? Here’s What DGCA Has To Say
