Flights between India and the UK will remain limited till February 14. Further, according to an official directive issued, India-bound flights from the UK would be allowed only in five international airports such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. 

The new strain has spread to 60 countries including India prompting travel restrictions

The discovery of a more infectious SARS-CoV2 variant in the UK has prompted travel restrictions between the two countries. The new strain has spread to 60 countries including India. The Health Ministry has been constantly reviewing the situation and the latest meeting resulted in a decision to extend limited air travel between India and the UK till February 14. 

The Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued after the meeting said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will issue necessary permission for a limited number of flight operations. Additionally, there will be adequate spacing between flights scheduled to arrive at Indian airports. This will prevent overcrowding while carrying out COVID-19 tests on inbound passengers. 

 All international travellers will need to declare their travel history (of past 14 days) and submit a self declaration form at Air Suvidha portal. This must be completed 72 hours before the scheduled travel. They will also have to carry a negative RT-PCR test report taken within 72 hours prior to departure. 

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