Canada lifts ban on commercial passenger flights from India; first flight to Toronto on Sep 22

. The first departure of Air Canada flight from Delhi is scheduled for September 22.

The Canadian government on Sunday has lifted the month-long ban on passenger flights from India. Canada had previously extended restrictions on all direct commercial and private passenger flights from India until September 26. Now, with the end of the ban, travellers can fly to Canada with precautionary measures, which includes a negative Covid test report from an approved laboratory.

Air Canada, the largest airline of the North American country Canada, has decided to restart operations after over a four-month pause. The country suspended flight services from India in April this year owing to surge in COVID-19 cases. Now, the restrictions on direct connectivity have been eased for flights to and from Delhi. Air Canada has restarted nonstop flights with new guidelines where WHO-approved vaccinated travellers must undergo a rapid PCR test taken not more than 18 hours before departure from COVID-19 Testing Centre and Lounge at Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport.

The airline said the passengers travelling from Delhi to Toronto, must carry an RT-PCR test done before 18 hours of boarding the flight. Earlier, Canada required passengers from India to take a negative RT-PCR in a third country before giving access. This requirement has now been dropped. The first departure of Air Canada flight from Delhi is scheduled for September 22.

Air Canada confirmed that it is resuming flight operations from Delhi on Twitter. As per Air Canada Covid testing requirements guidelines, the positive test must be taken between 14 and 180 days, ahead of the scheduled departure flight to Canada.