Air bubble pact: Government expands international flight operations to Bangladesh

MUMBAI: The government on Wednesday expanded international flight operations under the bilateral air bubble arrangement to Bangladesh. The pact allows airlines of each country to operate 28 flights per week. Bangladesh is the 18th country with which India has put in place such arrangement, due to the suspension of regular international air travel services.

"To further widen our international civil aviation operations, an air bubble arrangement is now in place between India and Bangladesh. Carriers of India and Bangladesh will operate 28 flights (per week) each between the two countries," Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said in a tweet.

The number of such arrangements has now reached 18, he further said in the tweet.


Under the air bubble pact between the two countries, special international passenger flights can be operated into each other's territories under restrictive conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

India now has bilateral air bubble agreements with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Oman, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Maldives, Nigeria, Qatar, the UAE, Kenya, Ukraine, Bhutan, the UK, and the US.

Scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, special international passenger flights have been operating in India under the Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral air bubble arrangements formed between India and other countries since July. IAS HRS