India extends scheduled international flights' ban to 2021

India has extended the ban on scheduled international flights till the end of this year.

The ban, which was initially set to end on November 30, has been extended till the end of December by the country's Ministry of Home Affairs.

However, overseas repatriation flights of Indian citizens and foreign nationals and special international flights permitted by the ministry will take to the skies.

The new guidelines were issued one day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a virtual meeting with the Chief Ministers of states in India.

It will permit state governments to impose local restrictions as required, including night curfews to aid the fight against the pandemic. State governments will also be allowed to restrict the number of people at social events to less than 100 and impose fines on people for not wearing masks in public places.

However, total lockdowns will require consultation with and prior permission from the Ministry of Home Affairs. Nor can states seal their borders. "There shall be no restriction on inter-state and intra-state movement of persons and goods including those for cross land-border trade under treaties with neighbouring countries."

India suspended all air travel at the end of March, but domestic flights were resumed in a phased manner on May 25.

Scheduled international flights have, however, remained suspended with the exception of those under "bubble arrangements," which are travel corridors negotiated with individual countries.