DEL, BKK, MAA Opening up soon
- Regular international flights to resume March 27, 2022 after two years suspension. This is the start of the summer schedule 2022.
- India has once again extended its ban on regular commercial international passenger flights – until further orders – as per a circular dated February 28, 2022 issued by the Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Flights under air bubble arrangements and international cargo flights will continue.
- On February 28, 2022, the Indian government updated its “List of Countries/Regions in respect of which primary vaccination schedule completion certificate is allowed to be uploaded” on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare website: see document here. There are 88 countries now on this list. (The Union health ministry has removed the at-risk categorization of countries.)
- India and Thailand have finalized an air bubble arrangement, bringing the total number of such bilateral flight agreements to 37. Airline carriers between India and Thailand will begin operating flights starting in March, which will be subject to approval from the government. Thai Airways will commence flights between India and Thailand starting March 1 under this air bubble. Travelers should note the health protocols and the respective schedules of approved flights between Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, and Bangkok. Meanwhile, on February 25, SpiceJet announced it will launch six new international flights to Bangkok, commencing from March 10 in a phased manner. SpiceJet plans to launch flights connecting Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata with Bangkok. India reportedly has plans to reopen its regular international travel from March 15, but this is still a tentative date.
