India looks at 'travel bubbles', domestic fare cap may be extended

NEW DELHI: India will from next month look at creating travel bubbles with countries that allow access to its citizens and vice versa, while immediately scaling up Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) repatriation exercise. The government expects domestic passengers movement to touch half go pre-pandemic level by mid-July after which it will consider allowing schedule international flights under a "bilateral bubble arrangement" with such countries. And, the capping done for domestic fares could be extended beyond August 24 depending on the situation. The fare range was introduced for three months when domestic flights resumed on May 25.

"In pre-pandemic times, we used to have 3-3.5 lakh domestic passengers daily. We started with 30,000 passengers on May 25 and since then have seen a maximum of 72,000 domestic passengers on a day. I expect to reach half of the pre-corona level of 1.5-1.6 lakh domestic travellers before mid-July. At that point, we will consider resuming schedule international flights on a country-by-country basis, depending on who allow our citizens in and we theirs based on a bilateral bubble arrangement," aviation minister H S Puri said.

Air India will add more flights under the ongoing Vande Bharat Mission phase-3 and the next phase, that will see private Indian airlines operating 750 flights to Gulf and southeast Asia. "We will operate 650 flights under VBM-4 in July. The maximum demand for travel is to and from the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East and southeast Asia," AI chairman Rajiv Bansal said.


Aviation secretary P S Kharola said "Depending on how the situation turns out, the fare band may have to adjusted beyond August 24 also. But right now, it is only for three months."

Minister Puri said VBM flights are being operated to ensure people can travel till normal schedule flights begin. "As we ramp up operations further, the fares may fall. AI will tie up with airlines to bring Indians to places in Europe, from say the Carribean, and then fly them to India from there. AI will look at making such arrangement wherever needed," he said.

About AI privatisation, Puri said: "I have never been as hopeful and confident on Air India, divestment or disinvestment whatever you choose, as I am now. AI's true worth has revealed itself in recent times and it is a first class asset. Whether it be for evacuation of indians from Wuhan, AI has been at the heart of it."