World / Canada extends ban on direct passenger flights from India till September 21

New Delhi: Owing to the risk posed by COVID-19, Canada has decided to extend the ban on arriving passenger flights from India till September 21. The ban was first imposed on April 22 and has already been rolled over several times. It is the fifth time the ban has been extended. The ban was set to expire on August 21, but will now remain in place till September 21. 

However, the ban does not apply to cargo flights or medical transfers.

“Based on the latest public health advice from the Public Health Agency of Canada, Transport Canada is extending the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) that restricts all direct commercial and private passenger flights to Canada from India until September 21, 2021, at 23:59 EDT,” the federal transport ministry said in a statement.

Meanwhile, several countries have relaxed restrictions/ allowed entry of travelers from India amid a significant drop in daily COVID-19 cases.  Earlier last week, Cambodia had lifted a ban on travelers from India. Notably, the Southeast Asian country had banned Indian nationals and foreign passengers traveling through India from entering Cambodia in late April to curb the spread of the Delta variant.

Besides, UK has also moved India from its ‘red’ to ‘amber’ list which means fully vaccinated passengers from Indians will no longer be subjected to compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine.  “The UAE, Qatar, India, and Bahrain will be moved from the red list to the amber list. All changes come into effect Sun 8th August at 4 am,” UK Transport Secretary had tweeted.

UAE and the US have also relaxed travel restrictions for Indians amid a dip in COVID-19 cases. The United States had eased travel restrictions for India, lowering it from the highest Level 4, which means no travel, to Level 3, which urges citizens to reconsider travel. The UAE, on the other hand, allowed fully vaccinated flyers— at least 14 days prior to the travel — to enter the country.