US puts restrictions on Vande Bharat flights
CONCERNS Order alleges India barring US carriers; India says considering several requests
NEWDELHI: Theusadministration has imposed restrictions on Air India’s repatriation flights for Indians stranded in the United States in the aftermathofthe coronavirus disease pandemic, saying the Indian government has beenengagingindiscriminatory treatment of American airlines by barring them from operating similar flights. India said it was studying requests byothercountries, including the US, to operate such flights.
An order issued by the US departmentoftransportonmondaysaid the directive wouldtake effect in 30 days. The order said the US had taken the action after Indianauthorities didn’t address American concerns about “restrictive and discriminatory treatment of US carriers” that were first raised on May 19.
The order said Air India will have to file applications for authorisation for repatriation flights at least 30 days before the date of the proposed flight.
“We have received requests from concerned authorities in several countries including the US, France, Germanyamongothersrequestingthattheiraircarriers be allowed to participate in the transportation of passengers alongthelinebeingconductedby Air India under Vande Bharat Mission. These requests are being examined,” he civil aviation ministry said in astatement.
“Wehavealsohadoneroundof negotiations with US on 15 June 2020 with representatives of US Department of Transportation and US Embassy on this issue. They were invited to submit precise proposals in this respect. A communication has now been received on 19 June, 2020 detailing these requests.”
“As we move from controlled and managed aviation evacuation of our citizens in different parts of the world and foreign nationals fromindia, wearenow looking at the possibility of establishing bilateral arrangements... Aswecontemplatefurtheropeningupinresponsetodemands, we are looking at the prospect of establishing individual bilateral bubbles, India-us, India-france, India-germany, India-uk. These are all destinations where demandfortravelhasnotdiminished. Finaldecisionspursuantto negotiations are expected to be taken soon,” it added.
India plans to operate atotal of 96 flights to various cities in the US between June 12 and July 2 under the third phase of the Vandebharatmission, the country’s largest repatriation programme for Indian nationals stranded abroad because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Theseflights won’t be affected by the order.
India significantly ramped up flights to the US and Canada in thesecondandthirdphasesofthe Vande Bharat Mission to being backstrandedcitizens, including students and professionals who lost their jobs because of the economic fallout of the pandemic.
The US order said Air India was being notified that it “will be required, effective 30 days after the service date of this Order, to obtain prior approval from the Department…before operating any Third- and/or Fourth-freedomcharterflights to orfromthe United States”. “We are taking this action because the Government of India (GOI) has impaired the operating rights of US carriers and has engaged in discriminatory and restrictive practices with respect to US carrier services to and from India,” it said.
Air India is currently the only foreignaircarrierfromindiathat has authorisation from the US department of transport to operate flights to and from the US with its own aircraft and crew. The order contended that the Indian side imposedrestrictions that prevent US carriers from makingfull useof charter rights.
Air India hasbeenconducting repatriation flights to the US since May 18.
“On May 19, 2020, an official from the Department [of transport] advised Air India of the Department’s concerns that some, if not all, of Air India’s so-called evacuation charters have gone beyond true evacuations (at least on the India to the United States segments) and involved sales to any member of the general public able to enter theunitedstates,” theordersaid.
Deltaairlines soughtpermission from India on May 26 to perform repatriation charter servicesbuthasnotreceivedapproval, the order said. The order also accused Air India of using the repatriation charter flights “as a wayofcircumventingthegoi-imposedprohibitionofallscheduled services” since March 25.
Theordersaidtheusembassy hadfirst registered its objections with the India on May 28.