Flight operations under the air bubble agreement between India and Bangladesh will resume from September 3, four months after it was suspended amid rising Covid-19 infections.
Passengers travelling from Bangladesh to India will be subjected to mandatory RT-PCR tests on arrival at Indian airports at their own expense, according to a circular issued by the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation today.
Passengers holding tourist visas, however, will not be allowed to enter India as of now, it said.
Air bubble arrangements are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. They are reciprocal in nature, meaning airlines from both countries enjoy similar benefits.
According to a circular issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) on August 16, any passenger from India can travel to Bangladesh irrespective of Covid-19 vaccination status.
India sought further clarification on the categories of passengers who will be currently allowed to travel to Bangladesh from India and their testing protocols.
With rising demands from the Bangladesh side on resuming flight operations, Bangladesh had proposed to India to restart the air bubble agreement on August 4 as infections in both countries have decreased significantly in recent times.
In response, the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation issued a circular stating that it may resume the air bubble arrangement from September 3.
The circular said India's civil aviation ministry examined the proposal in consultation with the health authorities of that country and would propose the resumption of operations under the air bubble with seven flights per week.
Three Indian airlines will operate seven days a week -- 3 SpiceJet flights; 2 Indigo flights and two Air India flights. The flights will operate from the Indian cities of Delhi, Kolkata and Chennai to Dhaka.
The Indian side is now awaiting information of the flight information from the Bangladesh side.