Canada has extended its suspension of direct flights from India for an additional 30 days, till June 21.
This was announced by Canadian minister of transport Omar Alghabra on Friday, a day prior to the original suspension period ending. “Until June 21, we are suspending all commercial and private passenger flights arriving in Canada from India and Pakistan for an additional 30 days,” he said.
He tweeted that the “temporary flight restrictions on India and Pakistan have significantly reduced the risk of importing cases and new variants. We are extending these temporary measures to protect the health and safety of Canadians”.
The suspension was originally announced on April 22 and was to expire on Saturday, May 22. The move by the Canadian government was precipitated by increasing pressure upon it to act on this matter after multiple cases of the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in India were reported in Canada.
Transport Canada had issued its directive last month and elaborated that passengers from India who arrive via an indirect route, through a third country, have to provide a pre-departure negative coronavirus test result from the last port before continuing their journey. Those conditions continue to apply with regard to extension.
In a statement released by Transport Canada in April, the ministry responsible for aviation stated, “These measures will help manage the elevated risk of imported cases of Covid-19 and variants of concern into Canada during a time of increasing pressure on our health care system.”
Air Canada had already announced last week that it only accepting bookings for its direct flights from India beginning in late June, in anticipation of a possible extension of the air travel suspension.
Prior to the suspension of flights, both Air Canada and Air India were operating almost daily flights between the Canadian cities of Toronto and Vancouver and New Delhi in an air corridor arrangement that came into effect last summer.
