The very first case of coronavirus was reported on New Year's Eve of 2019, in the Wuhan province of China. Since then the world has faced this pandemic. Because of COVID-19, many businesses stopped, people lost their jobs, day to day life of people got hindered, severely affected the movie industry, and much more. some of the most affected industry due to coronavirus pandemic was aviation and tourism. To stop the spread of coronavirus, various countries banned international flights. India not only banned international flights, but they also banned domestic flights. This was done because the Indian government announced the nationwide lockdown on March 24th, 2020.
The suspension of international flights was done to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. The Indian government later decided that reopening of the international flights will depend on the pattern of virus spread in India and the world. However, with time several businesses re-opened and so did the aviation and tourism industry. Indian government started domestic flights at the end of May 2020. And by the end of July 2020, international flights were also reopened for some countries. But before we talk about the countries where you can travel to this pandemic, let's talk about the importance of travel insurance.
Travel insurance is important now more than ever. This pandemic has opened the eyes of people that an unfortunate event can destroy the world within some time. This is why travel insurance is important as it will help you financially in case you face any trouble outside India.
We are now in the latter part of the year, and international flights are still banned in several countries. However, there are few countries where Indians can travel to and can travel from. 19 countries to be precise. Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently released a statement that the ban on scheduled international flights will be extended till the end of November. DGCA had extended the ban on scheduled international flights till October 31st, 2020. This means, if you are planning to travel abroad, then you might have to wait for some more time. Under the Vande Bharat Mission, you need to wait for flights or the government to make an air bubble arrangement with other countries.
Not only the Indian aviation industry, but the aviation industry across the globe have been hit hard due to this pandemic. People in these fields lost their jobs and whatnot. There are only a few countries where you can travel right now.
Our government has made the arrangement and have entered into an air bubble agreement with more than 19 countries including Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Canada, Bhutan, France, Iraq, Germany, Japan, Maldives, Kenya, the Netherlands, Oman, Nigeria, Qatar, the UK, the UAE, Ukraine, and the US.
These days the aviation industry is operating under the Vande Bharat Mission. These flights are taking people for international travel. With the ongoing situation in the world, it is highly unlikely that regular commercial operations in international sectors will start. Let's hope this pandemic gets under control so that people can go back to their normal life.
