New Delhi: Centre on Wednesday said December 15 date for resumption of scheduled international flights is no longer applicable due to the emerging threat from Omicron variant of coronavirus. DGCA said the government will announce a new date based on the Omicron situation. The decision comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked officials to review the plans to ease international travel restrictions in light of the “emerging new evidence”.
A note from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation today read: “In view of the merging global scenario the situation is being watched closely in consultation with all stakeholders and an appropriate decision indicating the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services shall be notified in due course”.
Modi on Saturday briefed about the new ‘Omicron’ variant of the coronavirus, and the global trends on coronavirus cases and officials highlighted that countries across the world have experienced multiple Covid-19 surges since the onset of the pandemic, a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement had said. During the meeting, the officials briefed the prime minister about the new variant of concern, ‘Omicron’, along with its characteristics and the impact seen in various countries, adding that its implications for India were also discussed. Modi had highlighted the need for monitoring all international arrivals, their testing as per guidelines, with a specific focus on countries identified as ‘at risk’. He also asked the officials to “review plans for easing of international travel restrictions in light of the emerging new evidence”, the statement said.