India-UK air travel to resume from Jan 6, 30 flights every week: Aviation Minister

New Delhi: After brief interruption in air travel services to Britain over discovery of new Covid-19 strain, Govt has given go-ahead for operation of flights from January 6.

A total of 30 flights will operate every week including 15 each by Indian and UK carriers, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday.

“Resumption of flights between India & UK: India to the UK from 6 Jan 2021. The UK to India from 8 Jan 2021. 30 flights will operate every week. 15 each by Indian & UK carriers. This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. The further frequency will be determined after review,” Puri tweeted.

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.

This schedule is valid till 23 Jan 2021. Further frequency will be determined after review.

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) January 2, 2021

Earlier, he had said there will be a short extension of temporary suspension of flights between the United Kingdom and India. There was already a ban on the operation of flights between the two countries till December 31, 2020. This extended suspension will now relax on January 6 and 8.

The suspension of flights was announced after the UK reported the spread of a new strain of COVID-19 in their country. Some of the passengers who had returned from the UK to India were also found infected with the new strain of COVID-19.

The Civil Aviation Ministry is also monitoring developments in other countries and will take further decisions accordingly.

The presence of the new UK variant of the virus has already been reported by Denmark, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Sweden, France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Japan, Lebanon and Singapore.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in the country due to pandemic.