DELHI, 15 March 2022: India has reviewed its indefinite suspension of international commercial flights to and from the country, allowing all international services to resume starting 27 March 2022.
The resumption of international commercial services coincides with the start of the traditional summer schedule timetable that airlines adopt, covering the period from March to the end of October.
The latest ruling issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation brings to a close an indefinite suspension of international commercial flights effective at 2359, on 26 March 2022. However, last week, a Press Information Bureau of India said all international flights to and from India would still be subject to strict measures outlined by India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare last updated 10 March 2022.
An earlier DGCA circular, released 28 February 2022, noted that the suspension of scheduled international commercial passenger services would be extended until further notice. That has now been rescinded and replaced by an order allowing all international commercial flights to resume to and from India starting 27 March.
The news was welcomed by tour operators in India. Commenting on the announcement, SOTC Travel’s managing director, Vishal Suri said: “The opening of India’s skies is a critical pivot in the industry’s road to recovery. The recent announcement by the Ministry of Civil Aviation to resume scheduled commercial international passenger services 27 March will provide much-needed relief for the sector, more so as it comes during India’s key booking season for the spring and summer school vacations.”
Meanwhile, the Press Information Bureau of India confirmed the country’s Ministry of Tourism had invited final comments on the draft report that will govern the establishment of the National Digital Tourism Mission.
According to the 9 March announcement, the Ministry of Tourism will undertake consultations with the tourism industry and domain experts to define the context, mission, vision, objectives, and overall scope of the National Digital Tourism Mission.
The draft report takes note of the fact that the tourism sector is highly fragmented. Subsectors of tourism such as transport, accommodation, restaurants and catering, and personal services are all subject to very different challenges and opportunities.
As a result, the tourism ecosystem is unable to harvest the combinatorial benefits of information exchange. Data systems currently don’t interact with each other using a common language, thereby curtailing data analytics and resultant policymaking.
The vision of the National Digital Tourism Mission would resolve that shortcoming and bridge the existing information gap amongst different stakeholders of the tourism ecosystem through a digital highway.
The report and notification documents have been uploaded on the Ministry of Tourism website: tourism.gov.in for comments/suggestions of the stakeholders and the general public.
(Source: Press Information Bureau of India)
