Air Travel Bubble: Here is what you need to know about India's plans on foreign travels

The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way of life completely. The contagious disease forced the world to impose numerous lockdown and quarantine restrictions on people. However, over the time, some countries have been able to fully or partially contain the coronavirus outbreak. Considering which, India has proposed establishing air travel “bubbles” with several countries like the US, Germany, and France.

What is Air Travel Bubble?

Some nations are talking of “bubbles” or “air bridges” which shall join states that have been able to curb the spread of COVID-19. The ‘air bridges’ are likely to be created among nations who trust each other’s testing and case numbers and have largely eliminated the virus.

In simpler terms, an air bubble is like a free zone among certain countries that will allow people of those particular countries to travel to and fro freely.

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New Zealand, Australia introducing Air Travel Bubble

According to an international media outlet, New Zealand and Australia are likely to pave the way for the COVID-safe travel zone. Small countries in the Pacific like Fiji and the Cook Islands are likely to join in as they have successfully kept the virus at bay. The zone shall further expand to other nations like Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Even the Baltic countries of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia have created a bubble. They have enabled the people to travel between these particular countries and have restricted entries of outsiders, as per reports.

A travel bubble or an air bridge is reciprocal in nature. It simply means that both sides have to be on board and let people of that particular bubble be allowed to arrive and depart among those countries. It also means that travel restrictions like quarantine or testing passengers shall be discarded among those countries in the bubble.

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Travel bubble in India

The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation announced that it was looking at possibilities of establishing bilateral arrangements.

The Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation further announced that they have been receiving requests from the US, France, Germany to allow their air carriers to participate in the transportation of passengers. Adding to the statement, the Ministry announced that the transportation of passengers would be done along the line being conducted by Air India under Vande Bharat Mission. The statement further added that the requests are being examined.

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Image Credits: Hardeep Singh Puri Twitter