US puts restrictions on Vande Bharat flights
CONCERNS Order alleges India barring US carriers; India says considering several requests
US administration has imposed restrictions on Air India’s repatriation flights for Indians stranded in the United States in the aftermath of the coronavirus disease pandemic, saying the Indian government has been engaging in discriminatory treatment of American airlines by barring them from operating similar flights. India said it was studying requests by other countries, including the US, to operate such flights.
An order issued by the US department of transport on Monday said the directive would take effect in 30 days. The order said the US had taken the action after Indian authorities 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, Germany among others requesting that their air carriers be allowed to participate in the transportation of passengers along the line being conducted by Air India under Vande Bharat Mission. These requests are being examined,” he civil aviation ministry said in a statement.
“We have also had one round of 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 from India, we are now looking at the possibility of establishing bilateral arrangements... As we contemplate further opening up in response to demands, we are looking at the prospect of establishing individual bilateral bubbles, India-us, India-france, India-germany, India-uk. These are all destinations where demand for travel has not diminished. Final decisions pursuant to negotiations are expected to be taken soon,” it added.
India plans to operate a total of 96 flights to various cities in the US between June 12 and July 2 under the third phase of the Vande Bharat Mission, the country’s largest repatriation programme for Indian nationals stranded abroad because of the Covid-19 pandemic. These flights won’t be affected by the order.
India significantly ramped up flights to the US and Canada in the second and third phases of the Vande Bharat Mission to being back stranded citizens, 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-freedom
charter flights to or from the 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 foreign air carrier from India that 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 imposed restrictions that prevent US carriers from making full use of charter rights.
Air India has been conducting 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 the United States,” the order said.
Delta Air Lines sought permission from India on May 26 to perform repatriation charter services but has not received approval, the order said. The order also accused Air India of using the repatriation charter flights “as a way of circumventing the Goi-imposed prohibition of all scheduled services” since March 25.
The order said the US embassy had first registered its objections with the India on May 28.