DGCA informed that there will no retsrictions for international cargo operations…reports Asian Lite News
India’s civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, on Wednesday extended the ban on scheduled international commercial flights till February 28, 2022.
At present, India suffers from a third Covid wave which is said to be driven by the Omicron variant.
In a notification, the DGCA extended the ban on scheduled international commercial flights till February 28, 2022.
“This restriction shall not apply to international all-cargo operations and flights specifically approved by the DGCA. “However, flights under Air Bubble agreement will not be affected.”
Last month, the civil aviation regulator, had extended the ban on scheduled international commercial flights till January 31, 2022.
Earlier, India had announced plans to allow resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services from December 15, 2021 with certain conditions.
However, on December 1, 2021, DGCA had said it is “closely monitoring” the situation emerging out of the Covid-19’s Omicron variant and the final decision on the resumption of near normal international flight operations will be taken after consultation with stakeholders.
India had banned the operation of international flights on March 23 last year to contain and control the spread of Covid-19.
Flight restrictions, however, were later eased under air bubble arrangement with certain countries.
Partners with Alhosn to offer its customers greater convenience and smoother journeys, reports Asian Lite News
Emirates, one of the first global airlines to pilot the IATA Travel Pass in April, is offering the IATA Travel Pass solution to customers flying to 10 cities and plans to extend it to all routes across its network in the coming weeks.
Emirates has also partnered with Alhosn, the official UAE app for Covid-19 related contact tracing and health documentation, to offer its customers greater convenience and smoother journeys.
Emirates customers flying between Dubai and the following cities: London, Barcelona, Madrid, Istanbul, New York JFK, Moscow, Frankfurt, Charles De Gaulle, and Amsterdam; can now use IATA Travel Pass to access the latest Covid-19 related travel information including the location of PCR test labs, and manage their Covid-19 travel documentation such as vaccination and latest PCR test results.
Passengers on these flights will receive an SMS and email with the activation code and instructions on downloading the IATA Travel Pass app.
The airline is progressing on plans to roll out the IATA Travel Pass solution across its global network.
Adel Al Redha, Emirates’ Chief Operating Officer, said, “Over the past months, we have really accelerated our biometric, contactless and digital travel verification projects to provide our customers with even greater convenience and assurance when they fly with Emirates.”
He added that this project delivers multiple benefits from better customer experiences to the reduced use of paper, and improved efficiency and reliability in travel document checks.
The IATA Travel Pass app is now available to both iOS and Android users, and can also be used by customers with non-biometric passports.
From July, Emirates will integrate the Alhosn app with its check-in systems, expanding on its existing integration with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). This enables customers travelling from the UAE to benefit from the quick and convenient digital retrieval and verification of Covid-19 medical records, regardless of where in the UAE they had completed their vaccination, or Covid-19 PCR and antigen tests.
Customers who opt to allow access to their Covid-19 related health information via the Alhosn app for travel purposes can rest assured that once check-in formalities are completed, information related to their Covid-19 medical records will be immediately discarded from the Emirates systems.
The IATA Travel Pass is a digital solution developed by the airline industry body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA). It aims to provide governments, airlines, laboratories and passengers with up-to-date information on Covid-19 related regulations, and facilitate the secure flow of necessary information amongst all stakeholders.
