India-UK flights suspended due to new strains of Coronavirus traced in the United Kingdom! India has canceled all flights connecting the United Kingdom starting from December 23. The Ministry of Civil Aviation cited the present situation in the UK which has forced the government of that country to impose lockdown-like restrictions and curtailed Christmas 2020 celebrations. India has joined countries like Canada, Colombia, Morocco, Iran, Bulgaria, Sweden, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, France, and Germany which have announced travel restrictions for people travelling from the UK.
The temporary suspension on India-UK flights will commence from 11.59 pm (Indian Standard Time) on December 22 and will remain in place till 11.59 pm on December 31, 2020. ‘Considering the prevailing situation in UK. Govt.
of India has decided that all flights originating from the UK to India to be suspended till 31st December 2020 (23.59 hours). This suspension to start w.e.f. 23.59 hours, 22nd December 2020. Consequently, flights from India to the UK shall stand temporarily suspended during the above said period,’ the Ministry of Civil Aviation said in a tweet.
Those who are arriving from the UK will have to undergo a ‘mandatory’ Coronavirus test at the airports in India. Passengers, who will be found coronavirus positive, must be quarantined as per guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. All medical costs incurred must be borne by the passengers. ‘As a measure of abundant precaution, passengers arriving from the UK in all transit flights (flights that have taken off or flights which are reaching India before 22nd Dec at 23.59 hrs) should be subject to mandatory RT-PCR test on arrival at the airports concerned,’ the Ministry of Civil Aviation said.
The flights on Delhi-London and Mumbai-London routes will have an impact. The list of these flights includes – Air India- Delhi 4 weekly / Mumbai 4 weekly, Vistara – Delhi Daily / Mumbai 3 weekly, British Airways- Delhi 6 weekly / Mumbai 5 weekly, and Virgin Atlantic – Delhi 4 weekly / Mumbai 4 weekly, Ease My Trip official told Financial Express Online.
