Parliamentary Committee suggests resuming scheduled international flights

By Ashoke Raj
New Delhi [India], August 4 (ANI): Parliamentary Standing Committee on transport, tourism and culture suggested to re-start the scheduled international flights on Wednesday.
TG Venkatesh, Chairman of Parliamentary Committee for Transport, Tourism and Culture told ANI on Wednesday that, the committee is advocating for re-starting the scheduled international flights.
"We have told officials and Ministry in interactive meetings that we should allow international flights immediately to places wherever COVID cases are low and where there are islands and safe zones. Tourism dept should be restored," Venkatesh told ANI.
Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India on March 23, 2020, due to the COVID pandemic. India's aviation watchdog Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has since extended the ban several times.
As per the earlier announcement, "the ban on international commercial flights to and from India was ending on July 31. The ban has now been extended till August 31," DGCA said.
Currently, India is operating international flights under Vande Bharat mission and Air Bubble with several countries.
Further Parliamentary Standing Committee on transport, tourism and culture stressed upon the proper road connectivity to the hilly terrains of the country like Jammu and Kashmir and northeastern states. Committee also emphasised that connectivity of roads, rail and air not only boost tourism but play an important role to generate money.
"Any tourist destinations play an important role in determining the tourism potentials of that particular site. Since most of the tourist sites in India, especially those located in the hilly regions of Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, northeastern states does not have proper rail, air connectivity, therefore, connectivity through road is the only means of connectivity to such tourist sites," the committee report said.
The committee, therefore, recommended that road connectivity to most visited tourist destinations need immediate attention and the Ministry of Tourism should formulate policy in order to develop pucca roads with wayside amenities to enhance connectivity to preferred tourist destinations. (ANI)