India is in talks with 13 countries to resume scheduled flight operations, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Hardeep Puri said on Tuesday.
So far, India has entered into bilateral agreements with seven countries to commence flights on a limited basis. These include the U.S., UK, France, Germany, UAE, Qatar and Maldives. These agreements allow airlines of the bilateral partners to provide air connectivity between the two countries.
The countries with which India is exploring a tie up include “Australia, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Nigeria, Bahrain, Israel, Kenya, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea & Thailand. The ongoing negotiations will benefit stranded Indians & nationals of these countries,” Mr. Puri posted on Twitter.
There are also plans to start flights to neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan. These will be scheduled flights and different from the chartered flights operated by Air India under the Vande Bharat mission.
