Scheduled international flights should be resumed, says Parliamentary Standing Committee

The Indian Parliamentary Standing Committee on transport, tourism and culture has now suggested that scheduled international flights should be resumed. The committee is advocating for scheduled international flights to restart to places where the COVID cases are low.
TG Venkatesh, the Chairman of this Parliamentary Committee, said in a statement, "We have told officials and Ministry (Tourism) in interactive meetings that we should allow international flights immediately to places wherever Covid cases are low and where there are islands and safe zones. Tourism dept should be restored."

India had suspended all scheduled international flights due to the outbreak of the covid pandemic last year on March 23, 2020. The ban has been extended ever since by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
The ban on international commercial flights was to be lifted on July 31 of this year, however, that ban has once again been extended until August 31. The international flights that are operating currently are those under the Vande Bharat scheme, and air bubbles.

The committee also weighed in on the need to start proper road connectivity with the hilly areas of the country. This includes the northeast states, and Jammu and Kashmir. Such connectivity will generate money, and at the same time lend a hand in boosting tourism.

The committee report said, "Any tourist destinations play an important role in determining the tourism potentials of that particular site. Since most of the tourist sites in India, especially those located in the hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, northeastern states does not have proper rail, air connectivity, therefore, connectivity through road is the only means of connectivity to such tourist sites.”