NEW INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS TO US, GERMANY AND OTHER PLACES! WHO CAN TRAVEL? CHECK GUIDELINES AND OTHER DETAILS

Commercial International air travel was suspended in March 2020 after an intensive lockdown was imposed in the state in view of the COVID19 pandemic. The Vande Bharat mission initiated by the Indian government has been helping stranded Indians to come back to the country via repatriation flights. It is currently at the fourth phase. 

Last week, India established air bubbles with a few countries like the US, France and Germany among others, enabling people to get back to their homelands. 

Currently, French Airline Air France and American carrier United are allowed to operate flights till the end of this month. These flights are not the regular commercial flights hence they operate under few special guidelines.  The bookings for these flights opened on July 18 from 8 pm. It can be done through Air India’s website, offline booking offices as well as authorized travel agents. 

According to DNA’s report, here are the guidelines that are to be followed: 

France

-The connecting flight from New Delhi to Paris will begin operations from July 23.  

-Flights will be available on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.  

-Only spouses and children of French citizens will be allowed to travel. 

-Residents from France or European union (United Kingdom, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, Vatican, and San Marino), holders of a valid French or European residence permit or long-stay visa, and their spouses and children will be allowed to travel.  

-Healthcare professionals for the purposes of combating COVID-19; transporters of goods, including sailors; crews and personnel operating passenger and cargo flights, or traveling as passengers to reach their departure base; Personnel of diplomatic and consular missions, as well as international organizations headquartered or having an office in France, holding a special residence permit or a visa D are  the ones who’d be allowed to travel

-Passengers will be expected to carry a complete International Travel Certificate, which is supposed to be presented prior to board and to Immigration upon arrival or when transiting France. The certificate must be obtained before departure via the French consular offices abroad or online at www.interieur.gouv.fr

United States

-A total of 180 connecting flights from several airports in India to different locations in the US from July 22 to August 31. Flights will be operating to/from New York, Chicago, Newark, San Francisco, and Washington DC and will offer connections to Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kochi, Mumbai, and Ahmedabad.  

-The ticket booking for the New Delhi-New York flights has already commenced.  United Airlines is operating the flights and the ticket fare starts at Rs. 57,000, which is almost half of Air India's ticket price.  

-There is no restriction for Indian passport holders who are holding valid visas for the US. Passengers who have transited or have been in certain countries in the past 14 days will not be allowed to enter the USA.  

The following passengers will be allowed to travel to the US:  

*Nationals and permanent residents of the USA  

*Spouses of nationals and of permanent residents of the USA  

*Parents/legal guardians of an unmarried and younger than 21 years national or permanent resident of the USA  

*The unmarried and younger than 21 years brother or sister of a national or permanent resident of the USA, who is unmarried and younger than 21 years  

*The child/foster child/ward of a national or permanent resident of the USA  

*Passengers with the following visas: A-1, A-2, C-1, C-1/D, C-2, C-3, D, E-1 (as an employee of TECRO or TECO or the employee’s immediate family members), G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, IR-4, IH-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, or NATO-6 visa  

*Members of the U.S. Armed Forces, spouses, and children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces  

*Passengers with evidence of traveling at the invitation of the USA government for a purpose related to the containment/mitigation of the Coronavirus (COVID-19)  

*Passengers with documents issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or U.S. Department of State indicating that the passenger is exempt from the restriction  

*B1 crew crewmembers that are engaged in lightering, Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) activity, wind farm activity, private air/sea crew, and other similar crewmember actives

Germany

-The connecting flight from New Delhi to Frankfurt will begin operations on July 25.  

-Flights will be operating on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

-Family reunion visas, including intended marriage, will be permitted.

-Long-term (Category “D”) visa will be allowed for employment in health and health research sectors, for the care of the elderly as well as specialists and highly qualified workers whose employment is economically necessary and whose work cannot be postponed or carried out abroad.  

-Long-term (Category “D”) visas will be permitted for study purposes as long as the studies cannot be carried out completely from abroad.  

-Family visits or visits for job-seeking purposes will not be permitted.