The Government of Canada’s ban on direct flights from India appears to have quietly expired.
As Open Jaw reported, on 09AUG, Transport Canada extended restrictions on direct flights from India until 21SEP at 23:59 EDT. Ottawa first banned flights from India in APR for month-long periods which rolled over.
All direct commercial and private passenger flights were subject to the ban. Pax arriving in Canada from India via a third country were required to obtain a valid COVID-19 pre-departure test from that third country (other than India) before continuing on their route to Canada.
Each time Ottawa banned flights from India or rolled over the ban, the government said that it was working closely with counterparts in India and airlines to ensure appropriate procedures would be put in place to enable a safe return of direct flights as soon as conditions permit.
Prior to 21SEP, however, no new announcements from Ottawa either extending or officially cancelling the policy took place.
And on 21SEP, an exchange on Twitter between a consumer and Air Canada, seemed to indicate that direct flights between Canada and India are simply resuming without fanfare.
#BreakingNews @AirCanada is resuming non-stop flights to @DelhiAirport from @TorontoPearson.
The resumption of non-stop flights brings an end to the need of having to travel to #Canada via a third country incurring extra cost. #AvGeek #PaxEx pic.twitter.com/YMChtrqx2X— 𝐕𝐓-𝐕𝐋𝐎 (@Vinamralongani) September 20, 2021
Hello Ameya, yes, the route is resuming. More information to follow here: https://t.co/gxakBcYSqv /Frank
— Air Canada (@AirCanada) September 20, 2021
In addition, Air Canada’s web site now posts “Air Canada’s Testing Requirements for Flights from India” which clarifies for Canada-bound pax from India:
“Air Canada’s requirements for boarding the flight from India to Canada have now changed. The only accepted COVID-19 tests are an RT-PCR test or a rapid PCR test that must be taken no more than 18 hours before your departing Air Canada flight to Canada from the COVID-19 Testing Centre & Lounge across from Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. Air Canada requires either of these specific tests as no other test from any other clinic within India will be accepted, even if you are connecting from a different city.
“You may also be able to travel if you provide proof of a certified positive PCR test result taken between 14 and 180 days before your scheduled departure flight to Canada.”
The ban on direct flights to Canada from India was originally set on the advice of the Public Health Agency of Canada to contain the spread of variants of the COVID-19 virus.
The news of the apparent resumption of flights from India comes weeks after Canada reopened to fully-vaccinated residents of other countries on 07SEP.
